


Boutiques and Babies

by circadian_rythm, Feynite, LycheePit, scurvaliciousbay, SeleneLavellan



Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi, Muppet AU, Not like felt but like comedy and feel good-ness, Some characters are cats and that's ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 23:49:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17090066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/circadian_rythm/pseuds/circadian_rythm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feynite/pseuds/Feynite, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LycheePit/pseuds/LycheePit, https://archiveofourown.org/users/scurvaliciousbay/pseuds/scurvaliciousbay, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeleneLavellan/pseuds/SeleneLavellan
Summary: Family's not about blood; it's about love.





	1. Chapter 1

They have just finished a meeting with some of the other editors from their publishing house, a quaint luncheon at a little restaurant a few blocks from Aelynthi’s school. It is nice, sometimes, to just sit and chat face to face and not over the phone or computer. And the newest members of the publishing house haven’t seen them before, only heard rumors of the enigmatic owner of Somni’arla Publishers who is a harsh critic and strict with deadlines.

It’s always a good idea to see them and confirm the rumors as truth.

They’d never been to this restaurant before, but it’s Antivan menu was very authentic and Melarue makes a note to return again, with Aelynthi. He’s quite fond of Antivan food.

They glance at their cellphone, scrolling through a few messages as they head down the street. There’s a boutique a few blocks down near Aelynthi’s school, and they’d been intrigued by the scarves in the front window.

They have an hour and a half before Aelynthi’s kindergarten class is over, it is as good a time as any to stop by and see if one of the scarves catches their fancy.

Deceit senses something first. They look up just in time to see a flash of white and a spark of magic turn a corner down a side street. The magic is bright and erratic and uncontrolled.

 ** _A child_** , Deceit announces, as they find themselves moving in the same direction, heels clacking against cobblestones. They frown a bit; children, especially mage children, should not be left so unsupervised and in such obvious distress.

It does not take much to track the child down.

They find her curled up on a wooden bench next to a bus stop, staring at her hands. White hair, and a bit of smoke flickering around her as the air heats on and off. She’s afraid, it’s obvious. Afraid, and her magic is bubbling up, but not quite surfacing. Like the last bit of toothpaste in the tube, squeezed until nearly the last drop, with not enough pressure to get it out.

The signs of magical depletion are obvious, and alarming. It is not something seen often in children. Using enough of their energy and magical stores so that they’ve reached this stage is dangerous even for an adult, let alone a babe who looks to be the same age as their own son.

She’s wearing traditional Dalish footwraps. Aelynthi had briefly mentioned a new student who has joined his class a month or so prior.

_“She’s got white hair. She’s pretty. And she isn’t stupid and loud like everyone else.”_

It’s quite a compliment, coming from their son. He’s quite picky when it comes to children his age. He seems to prefer the older ones, who are quiet and leave him to his art. They can only assume that this little girl, found so close to the school, must be the one he spoke of.

She looks near ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. A child so full of fear, with magic that is this strained and erratic, is not safe.

The boutique will have to wait, it seems.

They settle themselves down on the other end of the bench, and see the little girl flinch as their skirts brush against her leg. She looks up, startled, and Melarue offers a calming smile. “Hello there little one. What are you doing out here at this hour? Were you on your way somewhere?” They motion to the bus-stop sign.

The young elf pauses, before giving a tentative nod.

 ** _A lie. She’s running away. She’s afraid of getting in trouble_** , Deceit puts in.

Melarue nods, “My my, how grownup of you, to manage to ride the bus all by yourself.”

Deceit presses, small tendrils coiling around the edges of the girl’s magic and calming it back down, and soothing the inflammation brought on by overuse.

The girl offers the beginnings of a smile. She opens her mouth to say something but then closes it again.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, as Melarue pulls out a book and pretends to read and the girl begins to kick her legs back and forth, staring at the curb.

“Your earrings are pretty.”

“Oh?” Melarue turns with a smile. “Thank you. I like this color very much. What is your favorite color?”

“Purple,” The girl answers immediately, her smile genuine this time.

“That is a good choice.” Melarue nods. “Purple is a very good color.”

“…watcha reading?” The girls asks then, emboldened by their shared color preference and love of shiny things, it seems.

“A book about dragons.”

“Is it good?”

Melarue leans over conspiratorially, “Honestly, it is actually very bad.” They make a face, and the little girl giggles.

“Why are you reading it?”

“It is my job,” Melarue explains. “I own a company that gets to decide which books get printed for people to read.”

The girl cocks her head to the side, as her eyes go wide. “You get to read all of the  _books in the whole wide world_?”

Melarue lets out a soft laugh. “Not all of them, but quite a few.”

The little girl scoots a bit closer, tugging on the fabric of Melarue’s skirt as they sit on the edge of it. “Do you have to finish the bad ones? Even if you don’t like it?”

“I think it is only fair,” Melarue nods. “Since I picked it up, I should see it through to the end, even if I don’t particularly like it. Since it is my job, it is my responsibility.”

“Sponsibility?” The girl parrots, then her face falls a bit, as she seems to remember something, and looks down at her lap. “So I gotta go back even if I don’t want to, since it’s my job?”

“Did you do something wrong?”

“I didn’t mean to,” The girl’s lip quivers. “It was an accident.” Deceit sends them images of a burnt piece of paper, stuffed hurriedly into a cubby hole.

“Well then, I don’t think anyone will be mad,” Melarue nods, “So long as you say you are sorry.”

“…but what if they  _are_ mad?”

“Well,” Melarue pauses, “That is not something you can change. You can only change how  _you_  feel. But I think that they will forgive you, if you explain yourself.”

She hesitates for a few more minutes, before she nods, then her face scrunches up a bit, “I don’t know how to go back.”

Melarue smiles, “There is a school just a few blocks away. Do you want to go there first? The teachers could call and find out where you need to go. Teachers know quite a lot about these things.”

The girl nods with another shy smile. “Ok.” She looks down at Melarue’s skirt and gasps, “Oh no, I got it dirty!” She hops off the bench, “I’m sorry!”

“Oh that is alright,” Melarue stands as well, “It was an accident, and it was just a bit of dirt. See?” They pat the small spot down, and the dusty mark fades. “Well,” They hold out their hand, “It is very important to hold hands when walking down streets.”

The girl hesitates again, as if just remembering that technically Melarue is still a stranger…before she places her hand tentatively in Melarue’s waiting palm. Melarue holds her hand loosely, so that she doesn’t think they’re trying to drag her anywhere, and begins to walk.

The girl asks them questions about the books they read the entire way, and it doesn’t take long before they find themselves at the gates of the school.

“Ah, here we are.”

The girl perks up, recognizing the surroundings, before she seems to freeze as they near the steps and come across several elves standing at the bottom of them. She drops Melarue’s hand instantly.

“Serah Bre’a!” The principal’s shoulders slump in relief, as he notices them and the child.

There are two elves standing next to the principal. Dalish, by the look of their clothing and the vallaslin adorning their faces. Taller than Mel, which is quite a feat. They tower over the principal, who seems relatively unfazed at being so surrounded.

Then again, Principal Lathlaeril is an extremely accomplished mage, who has a very open and extensive magical curriculum, which is why Melarue chose this school for Aelynthi in the first place.

Deceit notices the change in the young girl first. She slows her steps, and her expression falls as soon as she sees them. But it’s her emotional state that Deceit detects and mentions.  ** _She is afraid. They will be angry with her._**

All parents are worried when their child disappears, Melarue thinks, but as they see the male elf’s lips turn down in a displeased frown, they take pause. That is not the look of a father relieved to see his daughter safe and sound.

“Principal Lathlaeril,” Melarue nods their head in greeting with a smile. “I was near the school and saw her sitting outside,” They motion to the young girl still somewhat hidden behind their skirts.

“Thank you, Serah Bre’A!” Principal Lathlaeril nods, smiling brightly.

The male elf that Melarue assumes is the father reaches forward to grab Selene’s arm. “Look what you’ve done, Selene. Disrupting class and hindering adults with you outbursts. Apologize.” His trade tongue is accented, but still clearly understandable.

Selene swallows, and glances down at her feet, before turning to Melarue and opening her mouth, but Principal Lathlaeril speaks first, still smiling and voice full of good cheer. “Oh it’s alright, serah Elrogathe. Like I said earlier, mage children this young are prone to small outbursts. Our teachers are well trained in the matter, and none of the other children were frightened. I’m the one who should apologize for allowing her to run off.”

Elrogathe’s frown deepens. “She needs to learn control before she hurts someone.”

“That is usually what school is for,” Melarue puts in, raising an eyebrow. The young elf Selene is afraid, and exhausted, and in no state to be disciplined. She’s just a child, after all. There’s no need to be so strict. “So that young children can experience new situations and learn how to react to them. No one was harmed and no one was inconvenienced.”

There is a difference in teaching a child control and punishing them for magical use. Melarue has seen plenty of good mages stifled under such tutelage.

Elrogathe turns his glare on them, and Melarue’s smile stretches in response. “Excuse me serah, I do not believe this is any of your business.” Then he turns from them, in clear dismissal, to speak with his wife and then Selene, slipping into the local Dalish dialect. “We will speak of this when we get home. You have embarrassed us today. Your lack of control is unacceptable. We will increase your practice sessions again.”

“Actually,” Melarue replies, slipping into the same dialect, “Her control is not the issue entirely. Especially for the amount of latent magic she possesses. When a mage is nearly drained of their magical resources and forced to use them to the extent she seems to have endured, the control frays quite easily and small emotional impulses cause it to flare. It is something you don’t often see in young children, as it’s a sign of magical strain on the body.”

Elrogathe and his wife both seem shocked at Melarue knowing the Dalish tongue—the local dialect is not one they are well-versed in, and it has been a while since they’d spoken it freely, but it seems they were understood well enough. His surprise quickly turns to surliness at their words and insinuation, and he returns to using common tongue easily enough. “And I suppose you think yourself fit for such observations? You are not a teacher here, merely a—”

“Concerned citizen,” Melarue acknowledges, “With a son of my own. And I am growing more concerned the longer we speak.”

Elrogathe sneers, just a bit. It’s nearly hidden behind a polite grimace, but Melarue catches it before it fades. “Is it common for concerned citizens to wander around schools?”

“Now, now, serah,” Lathlaeril frowns, “I am not sure what you are implying, but Serah Bre’A is not the type…”

“It is quite alright, Principal Lathlaeril,” Melarue drawls, “It must be quite a foreign concept to him, an adult concerned for the well-being of children.”

Elrogathe stiffens, and his wife has the audacity to look offended when she has yet to speak up against her husband’s words before this. “We have always cared—”

“I think, perhaps, that this conversation is finished,” Lathlaeril cuts in, glancing between the two parties. “No one was harmed, and the situation has been righted. There is no need for anyone to get defensive. Besides, I would like to remind you all that there is a child present.”

Melarue nods, but keeps their gaze trained on the two and makes no move to leave. Deceit is picking up on small spikes in Selene’s discomfort even as she walks over to her parents and her mother takes her hand rather tentatively; as if she’d rather not be touching her, but knows that Melarue is watching.

“We will be going, then.” Elrogathe bites out.

“I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Selene.” Lathlaeril waves, “And Miss Subtlety wanted me to tell you she missed you not being in her class.” Miss Subtlety is Aelynthi’s teacher as well, Melarue knows. A kind and patient soul who likely  _did_  tell the Principal that.

Elrogathe nods, a stubborn jerk of his chin.

 ** _They will take her out of school,_** Deceit informs them.  ** _They think it was a mistake to let her come here, but they needed to be free without her constantly underfoot for a few hours. And it is her favorite part of the day, so they will use it as a punishment to ensure she does not repeat her mistakes._**

Melarue’s eyes narrow slightly, as they plaster on one last, charming smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you,” And then they turn a genuine smile to Selene, “And you as well, da’len.” They flick their earring, so the light catches on the stone, and Selene offers a smile in return before she is shuffled off by her parents.

“Thank you for bringing her back, Serah Bre’A.” Lathlaeril turns to them then, with a soft sigh, “School is nearly out, did you come to pick up Aelynthi?”

Melarue nods, “That girl, Selene…is she often this magically strained throughout the schoolday?”

Lathlaeril frowns, “I am ashamed to say that it has not been brought to my attention. Miss Subtlety is not a mage herself, and it’s a difficult thing to notice for most mages.”

“She was nearly burnt out. It looks to be a long-term stress on her reserves.” Melarue turns to walk with them back up the steps.

“Truly?” Lathlaeril’s frown deepens, and his brow furrows in thought. “I’ll have one of our more magic sensitive teachers look into it, then.” He’s trusted Melarue’s insight into magical matters before, after they aided in shutting down a pro-Templar lawsuit against him accusing him of illegal blood magic practices that was, thankfully, lifted with little media attention.

Melarue feels a bit better, knowing that he will look into the matter. Still…perhaps they will do some digging of their own. Just in case.

**_You are growing fond._ **

Melarue shrugs.  _Children are easy to grow fond of._  They continue to follow Lathlaeril inside, discussing the upcoming music program planned for the end of the month.

**_You cannot simply take in another one!_ **

_Aelynthi could use a sister. He needs someone to play with, who he doesn’t immediately dislike._

**_He is picky._ **

_He has good taste in people, you mean. And she is afraid. She is afraid of going back to them. To her own parents._

**_They are not kind._ **

_No,_ Melarue agrees,  _they are not._

They can almost hear Deceit sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

The walk home from school is silent. Her mother loosely holding Selenes hand while her father fumes a few steps in front of them.

Dhaveira tells Selene to go sit in the Chair when they finally arrive back in their apartment. Selene doesn’t even pout, too tired and in too much trouble already as she climbs into the overstuffed olive green seat and waits for her parents to decide they are ready to listen to her.

She dozes off, realizing only when she startles awake from her mother shaking her shoulder that an hour has passed. Selene rubs at her eye and apologizes for falling asleep, while Elrogathe crosses his arms and looks down at her disapprovingly.

Dhaveira quietly asks Selene what happened.

 

She explains the puppy, and the fire, and being caught by Aelynthi. How she panicked and ran and ended up being found by the person with the pretty earrings and going back to the school.

 

Elrogathe tsks.

“I knew this would happen. We should never have let her go to that school.”

“She  _has_  to go to school, vhenan,” Dhaveira reminds him gently, turning away from Selene.

“We had to shut down for half a day! What if someone had been injured, hm? Needed our attentions, and we were not there because the child had an outburst?” Elrogathe turns his gaze to Selene “What would you have done if someone had died because we had to pick you up instead of being there to help them? Would you apologize to their next of kin? ‘Sorry your loved one is dead, but I saw a _puppy_ ’.”

 

Dhaveira sighs and takes one of Elrogathes hands, squeezing it in a reassuring manner. “You are exaggerating. No one died, everyone is alright.”

“I’m sorry, Papae,” Selene whispers, sniffling while looking pointedly at the tile flooring. She wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. “It was an accident…”

“Do not let it happen again,” he commands “Now go get washed up, run your practices, and go to bed. You will be up early tomorrow to join us in the shop. Perhaps you will manage to learn something useful.”

“Yes Papae,” Selene mumbles, sliding out of the chair and towards their bathroom. After her shower, Selene practices her magic alone in her room until her vision gets blurry around the edges and she crawls into bed. She doesn’t dream, just remembers laying down and then waking up to her mother gently shaking her shoulder.

 

“It is time to get up, da'len,” she smiles.

Selene groans, and rolls out of her blankets. Dhaveira dresses her in a white shirt and some black pants and ushers her into the living room where Elrogathe is already strapping on his foot wraps. There is a loud rumbling noise, and Selene blinks as she realizes it is her stomach. Makes sense, she supposes. She ran out of class before lunchtime, and went to bed without dinner.

 

“Mamae, I’m hungry,” she pleads. Dhaveira turns to Elrogathe who tsks and tells Selene she may grab something from the kitchen, but she must be quick about. Selene dashes off, taking stock as quickly as she can.

“Da'len, we need to leave,” Dhaveira calls. Selene panics, and clambers onto the counters, opening one of the cabinet doors and snagging the peanut butter jar and a spoon from the drawer.

“COMIN’ !” she yells back, hopping down and running back to the living room.

 

Dhaveira takes the peanut butter and spoon from Selene and places them carefully into her purse, informing her daughter that she can have them once they are at the shop.

Selene watches the sway of the bag with each step they take down the sidewalk, stomach still quietly rumbling away as her father unlocks the back door of their small shop.

Her mother drops the bag down on a table in the back room, moving quickly to attend to her plants while Elrogathe immediately heads towards his medicinal stores and works on his inventory. Selene dithers near the door frame, wavering between taking the jar and spoon out of her mothers purse herself or waiting for her to finish her work and remember it’s in there.

 

“Mamae?” Selene peeks over the half door separating the backroom from the store front, balancing on her tip toes “Can I have the peanut butter now?”

“Yes, da'len,” Dhaveira calls, carefully pruning one of her flora “Let me know when you’re finished though.”

“Kay!” Selene smiles, eagerly darting back and taking both items from her mothers purse. She plops down on the floor and unscrews the lid before being met with disappointment.

 

The jar is practically empty, just remnants still coating the sides.

 

With a sigh, Selene begins scraping the peanut butter off the plastic sides and spooning it into her mouth. It’s certainly better than nothing, and the proteins should keep her running until lunch, at least. Once the jar is sufficiently emptied, Selene washes her hands and the spoon off in the drop sink. Carefully, she moves into the storefront where her mother is finishing checking off her flower feeding schedule.

 

“I’m all done, Mamae.”

 

Dhaveira jumps slightly, and Selene realizes with a frown that she had forgotten Selene was even  _here_ , but turns to look at her daughter with a smile all the same. “Very good da'len. Let’s go get you a uniform, hm?”

 

Selene nods and follows Dhaveira to the register where there are a few folded up aprons with the shop name embroidered on the chest, tucked beneath the counter. 'Efflorescent Elixirs’. Not particularly flashy, but accurate.

The apron however, is far too large, and drags on the floor beneath Selenes five year old body. Dhaveira frowns and calls Elrogathe in. He stares at Selene for a moment before disappearing and reappearing with a handful of safety pins. Carefully, he folds up the bottom, over and over until it is short enough to stop at Selene’s knees. He pins and repins the fabric until he is satisfied it won’t be falling apart on its own, then dismisses himself to go back to his work.

“There you are, da'len,” Dhaveira smiles with a pat on her head “Isn’t that better?”

“It’s heavy,” Selene frowns, staring down at the weight and recalculating her balance when she tries to move.

“You’ll get used to it. Now, why don’t you go flip the sign to open for me, ok?”

“Yes, Mamae,” Selene obeys, flipping the sign and unlocking the front door.

 

A few people trickle in and out, one or two commenting on Selenes presence. Dhaveira smiles and waves off their concerns saying that there is a 'new program at her school’ that allows the children to shadow their parents at work. Selene frowns, but doesn’t point out that her Mamae is lying; it would just lead to more trouble.

No one at all shows up in the afternoon, and Selene presses her face up against the front window in boredom and wonders what’s happening at school. Is Aelynthi still mad? Did Ms. Subtlety let him make a new picture?

Did anyone notice she didn’t show up today?

 

“Selene, get away from the window,” Elrogathe orders.

She sighs and moves into the back room, muttering “Yes, Papae.”

 

Elrogathe eyes Selenes slumped over posture on the floor for a few moments, and scoots a chair over to the table.

“You can read, yes?” he asks.

Selene blinks “Yes, Papae. And write.”

 

Elrogathe nods, and pulls out a few books from his desk and places them on the table, along with a stack of papers and a few pencils.

“These are some basics on what I do. You’ll be learning how to do this as well, so you should get started now. Take whatever notes you need, and I will quiz you on what you studied before we go home tonight.”

 

Selene pouts and slowly lifts the cover of one of the heavy books “I have to read  _all_  of this…?”

Elrogathe frowns “I thought you said you enjoyed school. This will simulate those situations for you.”

 

Selenes face scrunches up. She’s not really sure what her Papae thinks they are  _doing_  in kindergarten, but she can’t really picture him making macaroni pictures or raising his hand to answer questions about colors or reading her story books either, so maybe this is his way of trying to be nice.

 

“Thank you, Papae. I’ll do my best.” she nods. Elrogathe leaves the room, and Selene begins working on her task. The words are thick, and she doesn’t understand a lot of them. She ends up having to make up a whole separate paper to write down the words she doesn’t know so she can ask about them later. The sun goes down, and her mother closes down the shop but Selene has barely gotten through the first two chapters. Elrogathe isn’t pleased with her progress, but they get to have dinner altogether that night which Selene thinks is really nice. Afterwards, he sends her to practice her magic again, until she falls asleep the same way she had the night before.

 

This pattern continues for about 4 days, Selene following her parents to work and sitting in the backroom trying to read through her Papaes textbooks. She’s almost finished with the first one she thinks, when the bell to the shop entrance rings. She doesn’t look up though, used to tuning out the customers coming and going to focus on her work, until she hears her Mamae asking someone to  _leave._

That’s weird, Selene thinks. 

She glances at her papers and the almost-finished book and wonders who it is that might be making her Mamae so worried she’s even called for her Papae. Her curiosity wins out, Selene slipping down and out of her chair to peek over the half door on her tip toes again. The person spots Selene and waves to her, offering a very warm smile.

Selene recognizes them as the person with the pretty earrings, and waves back.


	3. Chapter 3

Their apartment is too small, they think. It is the first thought they have, as they open the door and Aelynthi goes barreling past them to watch his favorite show. They listen to the sound of the TV turning on, and muffled cartoonish-voices fill the air as they glance around.

It is a nice apartment but it was never meant for more than just them, really. They’d been pushing it, when they’d brought Aelynthi home.

**_If you continue bringing home orphaned and disadvantaged children we’re going to need a mansion,_** Deceit scoffs.

Melarue considers. They certainly have the funds for it, after all. And they could have a proper office again, like they’d had before they’d converted it into Aelynthi’s bedroom.

**_It was meant as a joke._ **

_You are quite terrible at them,_ Melarue heads into the kitchen, glancing into the living room to see Aelynthi fully absorbed in his show. They’ll begin looking for places nearby…perhaps outside of the city. Near enough that they can drive the children to school, but far enough out that they don’t need to worry about any nosy neighbors complaining about sudden magical outbursts in the backyard.

**_Children_**?

_I thought you’d accepted the fact that I will be taking in Selene. We’ve discussed it already._  They begin washing the vegetables they’d picked up from the market earlier that morning. Deceit goes silent. Not because it approves, of course, but because it cannot do anything against them. Taking in and caring for children does not go against their contract at all. It was built on the notion of survival, and Deceit has done quite well in that aspect. But there is no need for it to worry in this situation…

…well, perhaps it is allowed to worry a bit.

They continue cutting the celery after washing it, finishing up Aelynthi’s snack and bringing it out to the living room. “Alright, here we are. Ants on a log. With the ants  _off_  the log.”

Aelynthi glances at the celery covered in peanut butter and the pile of raisins next to it and nods in approval. “Thank you, nanae.”

“How was school today?”

“It was ok.” Aelynthi pauses. “Somebody ruined my picture though.”

Melarue pauses. “Oh?”

“My macaroni art,” Aelynthi pulls it out of his bag, ignoring the commercial on TV advertising some kind of action figure, and hands it over. “She burnt it. I worked really hard on it, too.”

Oh. Well. Now everything is beginning to make sense.The piece is nearly burnt beyond recognition, a giant blackened hole in the middle with small bits of glitter glue around the edges, and scorch marks that show them a bit of the design Aelynthi had originally planned.

“Are you mad at her?”

“She didn’t apologize.” Aelynthi huffs. “When you make a mistake you’re supposed to apologize, right nanae? But she ran away. You’re  _never_ supposed to run away from school.” He pauses, looking momentarily worried. “What if she got lost?”

“I’m sure she was alright.” Melarue placates, patting his head. “So you aren’t angry about the drawing, just about her not saying sorry?”

Aelynthi pouts, “It wasn’t that good anyway. Miss Subtlety didn’t have the right kind of glitter glue.”

Melarue hides a smile, as Aelynthi shrugs, “It was pretty though. She lit it on fire!” He lifts his hands up, “Just—poof! Flames!”

Aelynthi has never been very good with fire, but he’s always been quite fascinated with it.

“Well, I bet tomorrow, when you go, she will apologize.” Melarue thinks back to the discussion they’d had with Selene at the bus stop.

After snack, and Aelynthi’s show, he runs off to his bedroom to grab his paints to play with in the kitchen while Melarue sits at the bar counter and reads e-mails and checks for available homes nearby. And then it’s time for a bath because Aelynthi’s covered himself in more paint than he’s put on the paper, and the table as well.

By the time they’ve had dinner and he’s been put to bed, they’ve begun their plan to investigate Selene’s parents. A few calls to those who owe them favors tonight and it should go swimmingly.

“Goodnight da’vhenan,” Melarue murmurs softly, as they brush a few locks from his forehead and pull the coverlet up to his chin, and make certain that his favorite platypus plush toy is securely tucked in beside him.

—

They find a house quite easily after that, and call the realtor to set up a day to come visit and look the property over before making a decision. The rest of the afternoon is spent checking in with their contacts they’d called the night before, who set aside time immediately to ‘help a friend’ and begin investigating Selene’s family.

And then, of course, there’s the legal procedures they’ll need to go through to gain custody…well…it won’t be the first time they’ve had to do it. But from what they remember with Aelynthi, the paperwork is horrendous.

They pick up Aelynthi from school, and glance around the schoolyard and frown when they do not catch sight of white hair.

“Nanae!” Aelynthi barrels into their skirt, and his hands are covered in glitter, that leaves little trails along the dark purple fabric. They smile to themselves, and lift him up to brace on their hip. They wonder how long he will like this. How long he’ll hug so readily and let them pepper his cheeks with kisses.

They buckle him into his car seat and turn on the engine when he speaks up again, looking up from his newest picture that will be gracing the refrigerator door. “Selene didn’t come to school today.”

Melarue pauses, glancing back at him in the rear-view mirror. “She did not?”

“…do you think she’s scared of me?” Aelynthi whispers. “I wouldn’t be  _that_  mad. It was just a  _picture_.”

“I am sure that is not the case at all.” Melarue assures him, as they pull out onto the main street. “Perhaps she was sick today.”

Aelynthi nods, but doesn’t look entirely convinced. He frowns down at his picture. “…ok..”

—

“I made her one too,” Aelynthi holds up a second macaroni art. “Do you think if I gave it to her, she’d come back to school? If she doesn’t come back I have to sit next to Merin and he can’t even  _color in the lines_.”

Melarue holds him close, a gentle squeeze before he fidgets and slips out of their hold. “Aelynthi, would you like a sister?” From what they’ve learned from their contacts, the case should actually be quite simple. Neighbors have corroborated the things that Melarue noticed, and some of the clients of Elrogathe’s shop have wondered at his young child’s constant presence and weariness.

Melarue’s only regret is that, unfortunately, now that they’ve gotten others involved it would look quite bad if he were to suddenly find himself pushed down a set of stairs.

Aelynthi pauses, seeming to give the question quite a bit of thought. “…if she was like Selene.” He makes a face, “Not if she was like Merin.”

Melarue chuckles.

—

The house, Melarue thinks, is perfect. Perhaps larger than they truly need for themselves and two children, but they like the feel of it. The foundation is old, and sturdy, and will hold up nicely to any glyphs and wards Melarue places.

As they walk with the real estate agent and listen to her describe the rooms, they can already imagine children running down the hallways. Some of the wallpaper is old, and outdated, and will need to be removed, but that is something that is easily fixed.

They wonder if Selene would prefer to share a room with Aelynthi or have her own. Well, there are plenty of them, if the children change their minds, and for when they’re older; though Melarue has already claimed a corner room with a large window for their office, that looks out onto the spacious lawn, so they can keep an eye on any errant children while working.

Not all of the plants have been well-taken care of, but gardening is something they enjoy, and it gives them room to pursue their hobby to a fuller extent than the potted plants in their apartment.

It is twenty minutes outside of the city, and the land surrounding it is up for sale as well, and they contemplate buying the few acres of woods for a bit more privacy.

“It is wonderful,” Melarue announces finally, glancing around the dining room as the agent gushes over the antique crystal chandelier. “I believe this house is perfect for my family. When is the earliest date we can move in?”

They’d like to get in a day before the movers and ward the foundation and the bedrooms, at least.

—

So this…is the shop.

They walk inside, heels clicking on hardwood. It smells nice, like drying herbs, and a tiny bell near the door jingles when they slide it open.

“Welcome—oh.”

Melarue raises one slender eyebrow, watching the welcoming smile on the woman’s face morph to wary frown. The frown grows, as Melarue walks toward the counter. “Excuse me, but I would like you to leave.”

“Is this how you treat all your customers?”

“I have a right to choose who we serve—Elrogathe!” She calls back, brow furrowed in worry. Melarue waits for Selene’s father to come in from one of the back rooms, his own frown turning into a full glower as he recognizes them.

My my, they’ve made quite the impression, it seems.

They see a flicker of movement out of the corner of their eye, and smile at Selene with a wave. Selene offers a smile and wave in return. Deceit can feel her magical exhaustion from here.

“What are you doing here? Leave.” Elrogathe steps forward, to block Melarue’s line of sight toward Selene. Well, it seems they are going to forego faking civility then.

“Is it normal, for a child to be kept from school for five days in a row?” Melarue asks into the air, not expecting an answer, as they sigh.

“Leave.”

“I seem to have stumbled across quite the case of neglect. Magical exhaustion in a child so young is quite a serious offense.” Melarue wonders if Selene has been eating. She looks thinner, but that could be the exhaustion as well.  

“Magical exhaustion? And how will they prove that? By your word?” Elrogathe scoffs.

“Oh no,” Melarue smiles, “By Nialas’.” They nod back, and motion for someone else to enter. A petite, pale elf with white hair and a frown hurries past, dress swirling around her like it is trying to keep up with her deliberate movements. Nialas is small by anyone’s standard, and in this shop, dwarfed by everyone but Selene. But she gives off the impression of being the largest in the room, with a look of gravity on her face and shrewd, red eyes as she glances around.

“Hello,” Nialas retorts, holding out a hand, as if she just remembered that she needs to be somewhat civil, “My name is Nialas Vindrhu, and I work for the Department of Child Services and deal directly with mage children and magical neglect. Here’s my card.”

Dhaveira takes the card, but Elrogathe does not shake Nialas’ hand. Which is just as fine, it seems, because she places it down, looking nonplussed, and reaches into her large bag, pulling out a manila folder. “Here are eye witness accounts from several neighbors and customers of your shop, as well as her teacher. The cases are quite serious. If this is truly neglect, you will be taken to court.”

“This is absurd—”

“Quite,” Nialas agrees in a clipped tone, “The fact that you were allowed to reproduce at all seems ludicrous, but abnormalities do tend to happen.” She pulls out a clipboard from her bag as well and glances around once more, before scribbling something down, checking off a few ticks along the side of the paper. “I will be doing an extensive investigation into your daughter’s magical limits in a few moments, but from what I have heard and can see for myself, the risk of magical burnout looks serious.”

“I am calling the police.”

“Please do,” Nialas nods, “It will make my job easier one I finish with my report.” She then looks over at Selene, and her pinched expression softens and she offers a smile, “Hello there. Is your name Selene?”

“Yes,” Selene looks to her parents worriedly, but answers. Melarue wishes they could just grab Selene and leave, but now that they’ve decided to do this the  _legal_  way, they mustn’t go about taking children without having proper custody…

…a shame.

At least Nialas is providing entertainment.

“I would love to talk with you, and ask you some questions.”

Selene looks over to her parents once more, and both Nialas and Melarue catch the glance. Nialas squares her shoulders, “You don’t need to worry, your parents will not be in the room. This is a conversation between just us.”

“She’s our  _daughter_ ,” Dhaveira puts in tremulously, “You can’t just take her away.”

“Well actually, I can.” Nialas clicks her tongue, “That’s what happens when you don’t take care of your children, serah. Now I can check over your daughter’s magical reserves, and file my reports, and we can go about this the hard way, where I get your shop shut down and have you arrested and fined, or we can be adults about this.”

Elrogathe takes a step forward, and Nialas sneers, “I would prefer the hard way, for your information. By all means.”

Ah, Melarue had forgotten how much they liked Nialas. They will certainly need to send her a nice gift basket for Wintersend. And a present for her upcoming wedding to Peril. Not that Nialas would accept them as payment for a job well done, of course, but she wouldn’t mind a nice vintage from Melarue’s stock, they are certain.

“…and what would you have us do?” Elrogathe’s voice is low, like he’s talking through clenched teeth. Melarue hides a smile.

“For now, I’m taking Selene into custody, and we will go over the case. If you willingly give our Department custody, then we can settle on fine payments at a later date,” Nialas begrudgingly concedes. Melarue knows she would prefer to take this fully to court; Nialas’ tolerance level for letting child abusers go free is low, and she likes to get them as far away from being able to have children or be near them again as she can.

But sometimes, settling is better in the long run, especially for the child. Selene looks confused, and worried that she’s made her parents angry. Melarue gives an inward sigh. They hope that Selene won’t hate them for this.

It…does not take much after that. Nialas has Melarue take Selene out to her car, while she finishes the paperwork, and has Selene’s parents sign over custody. Selene’s fingers shake slightly, as they walk out of the shop.

“Are you feeling alright?”

Selene swallows. “…yes.”

**_She thinks this is her fault, again, and her parents will be angry with her._ **

Melarue gives her hand a gentle squeeze. “Your teacher Miss Subtletly tells me she missed you in her classes, and all of your classmates were worried about you.”

Selene looks at them out of the corner of her eye. “…really…?”

Melarue nods. “Would you like to see them tomorrow?”

Selene smiles more broadly, the first real smile on her face since she’d first seen Melarue walk into the shop. “Yes!”

Nialas walks out of the shop at that point, placing the manila folder back in her purse, her tense expression softening as her gaze lands on Selene.

“We’ll head back to the Department, and you can tell me all about what you do during the day when you come home from school. How does that sound?” Nialas asks, as Melarue buckles Selene securely into the back seat of Nialas’ car. They want to put her in their own vehicle and just…drive home. She’s hungry, and tired, and scared, they can tell. But this needs to be done first. And Melarue doesn’t have custody yet.

Selene nods slowly, glancing back at the storefront, as if she expects her parents to come out and ask for her back.

Melarue almost wishes they would…both so they have an excuse to give them a proper scolding, and also for Selene’s sake; so that she doesn’t think she’s just been handed over callously and without a fight, even though that’s exactly what has happened.

“Why don’t I pick us all up some lunch and meet you there?” Melarue asks glancing between Selene and Nialas.

**_Pizza_** , Deceit announces.  ** _She likes pizza._**

“How about I grab some pizza?” Melarue is rewarded with Selene perking up a bit, attention fixed on that one word and off of the shop front.

“That sounds wonderful.” Nialas agrees, and gives Selene another little smile, before closing the door and turning to speak with Melarue. “Are you serious about taking her?” Her own expression is closed, eyes narrowed as she looks them over like she’s trying to pick them apart.

“Yes,” Melarue answers. Short, and simple, because there is no reason to try and cajole and trick Nialas, when the other elf will just wave it off.

“Good,” Nialas nods stiffly. “I did this for you as a friend, and because I entrusted Aelynthi to you when we found him. Don’t make me look bad in the department. She can go home with you tonight while I finish up the paperwork. I don’t think her parents will take anything to court, considering the case against them.”

“Ah, I forgot to mention that I’m moving,” Melarue pulls out a business card with the new address printed neatly on it. “A larger house outside of town, for the children. My apartment wasn’t built for three people.”

Nialas nods again with a frown, “I’ll have to file change of address forms now.”

“You enjoy filling out forms,” Melarue accuses, “Plenty of little boxes to tick off and lives to either aid or ruin. Don’t deny it.”

Nialas’s lips twitch, almost into a smile, before she coughs and opens the front door to climb inside, “If you’re getting us pizza, bring enough for the whole department.”

Melarue steps back, and watches as the car pulls away, waving with a smile to Selene, whose face is pressed against the window.

They’ll need to call the school and inform them that the babysitter will be picking up Aelynthi today, it seems.

They glance back one last time at Effervescent Elixirs, and hear a soft sob and low voices from inside, and they almost feel pity. Perhaps, at one point, the two had loved Selene, and had cherished her…but old sentiment and longing are not enough, if they cannot love the girl she has become, and the magic she wields.

And that is something that Melarue has no pity for.


	4. Chapter 4

The best time of year is when the snow is finally deep enough for Asaaranda to make snow spirits. When she wakes up one cold Firstfall day she  _knows_  that today is the day. The first day of snow spirits! 

She is the first one dressed and ready for action, pulling on her long underwear, pants, shirt, sweater, coat, and scarf. She tugs on the hat Mama made her with the holes for her horns and runs downstairs to find her brother and sisters already at the table, still in their PJ’s, eating breakfast.

“It’s snow spirit day!” She declares, raising her arms above her head. Aelynthi glances back at her and then at his food and promptly returns to his food. Selene nods happily and Ash doesn’t look up, but Nanae does and they smile, so does Mama. 

“Sel-e!” She asks, running up to her sister, “will you make snow spirits with me??” She asks, practically crawling into her sister’s lap. Selene laughs and hugs Asaaranda. 

“Sure, let me get dressed.”

“YAAAAY!” She scrambles off Selene and runs up to her nanae. They waste no time in hoisting her up into their lap and kissing her good morning. 

“Nanae! Do you want to make snow spirits with me?” She asks and they nod.

“Yes, but you need to eat something first, okay? Then I will make snow spirits with you.”

“Oookay, Nanae. Can I have fruit loops?” She asks.

“How about eggs and ham since you’re going to be outside in the cold?” Mama says and Asaaranda thinks about it. Fruit loops and milk are cold, and she isn’t a fiery mage like Sel or Ash, she’s all sparky like Aelynthi and Nanae. 

“Okay!” She nods then, leaning into Nanae while she waits for Mama to cook her up some eggs. The plate is very harm when Mama gives it to her and Nanae is quick to put pepper and salt and paprika on them like Asaaranda likes. 

Selene comes downstairs, all dressed in her warm clothes and Asaaranda tries to eat faster. But Nanae clicks their tongue and tells her to slow down or she’ll get a tummy ache. 

“Can I make snow spirits with you guys?” Ash asks.

“YUP!” Asaaranda says around a mouthful of eggs and ham. 

After she’s done eating, Nanae makes her wash her hands and then put on gloves. Ash gets dressed and Asaaaranda asks Aelynthi if he wants to join, but he doesn’t like snow or the cold because he’s a party pooper platypus. He can stay inside and knit with Mama then, she doesn’t like the cold either!

But Asaaranda loves the cold! Specifically, she loves the snow, and she wastes no time in running and jumping into the soft banks in the yard. 

Ash steps outside and sighs, “All the snow melts around me.”

“Try sucking all the heat into your body and imagining it’s trapped there,” Selene says and that sounds a little silly to Asaaranda. But the air gets a little colder and Ash takes another step without the snow melting.

“Huh! Thanks.”

“Sisters! SNOW SPIRITS!” Asaaranda shouts, launching herself back up from the snow bank to grab their hands and lead them towards the BIG snow.

Her sisters are very tall and when they plop into the snow next to Asaaranda and Nanae, their snow spirits are tall. Just like Nanae! Selene is almost as tall as Nanae now and Ash isn’t so far behind and Asaaranda wonders if she’ll be tall too. Maybe she’ll be taller than Aelynthi and won’t be the smallest anymore! But that would mean Aelynthi’s the smallest, and she doesn’t think he’d like that. 

She shoves her arms out wide and giggles as she makes her first snow spirit. 

They all stand up to see how they did and Asaaranda thinks they’re all pretty. 

From there they move onto making snow people! Sel and Ash make the bottom and Asaaranda and Nanae make the top, and all together they pack it in to make it look pretty. 

“Can we give them horns?” She asks.

“I don’t see why not,” Nanae says and together they all work on making the horns, but the snow keeps falling apart so Ash grabs a couple of large sticks and puts them in the head.

“Is that good?” She asks and Asaaranda shrugs. She doesn’t think horns are like branches, but then again, people aren’t made out of snow, so it’s okay.

She’s starting to get cold when the snow crunches behind them and there’s her brother!

With a tray of mugs! 

“You’re going to catch your death out here! It’s freezing!” He says but that’s just her brother, he’s a grumpasaurus sometimes but he’s really nice too because like right now he has hot chocolate! 

“Asaaranda, yours is the blue mug, it’s got the lactose free milk. Nanae, this one is yours, Sel this is yours…and here you go, Ash.” Asaaranda picks up her mug and sips at it carefully, but it’s at the perfect temperature and she drinks happily. It’s so nice and warm! 

“Thank you, Aelynthi, you’re the best brother ever,” she says, wrapping her arms around his legs. Everyone around them goes ‘aaaw’ like adults do and her brother bends down to hug her. 

“…You want me to help you build snow people, don’t you?” He asks.

“YEP!” 

He sighs, “Alright.” 

“YAAAAY!”

~

Several hours later and Asaaranda is very cold and very happy, dethawing in from of the fire. Selene sighs behind her before sitting down and pulling Asaaranda into her lap.

“OH! You’re very warm,” she coos and snuggles into her sister. Selene holds her for a while and then Ash sits down and she hugs on them too! And it is very warm and very nice, Asaaranda thinks. Mama and Nanae and Aelynthi all sit by the fire too, bringing cookies and more hot chocolate. 

Asaaranda loves winter.

“We should do this again tomorrow!” She declares sleepily before falling asleep in between the two best sisters ever.


	5. Chapter 5

The drive to the Department is long, and quiet. Nialas tries to strike up conversation with Selene a few times, but she’s still a  _stranger_ , so Selene gives the shortest answers she can.

The Department itself looks large, the doors they pass through towering well over Selene. The tile floor is cracked in a few places, and the fluorescent lights are brighter than she’s used to. A few of the workers glance up as Selene follows closely behind Nialas, who makes several stops and speaks with several other people in hushed tones, until they end up alone in a room with her. There are several chairs, and beanbags, and a table with crayons and paper and markers. Nialas asks Selene where she wants to sit, and she swallows.

Is this a test?

How is she supposed to know which is the right one?

If she picks the wrong one, what happens to her parents?

What happens to  _her_?

 

She is sniffling when the person with the pretty earrings enters the room, pizza box in hand. They’re wearing a different pair today, but they’re still very nice she thinks.

They take one look at Selene, and offer a small smile before sitting criss-crossed on the floor by the table.

“Are you hungry, Selene?” they ask.

Selene sniffs again, and nods.

“Will you sit with me?”

Selene nods again, and moves to sit beside them, eyeing the gooey, cheesy pizza in front of them as they flip open the top.

 

“Eat as much as you’d like.”

Selenes eyes go wide, as her head turns to them “Really?”

 

“Of course,” they assure her, pulling a paper plate and a small stack of napkins out of their purse. They reveal an unopened bottle of water as well, and offer it to her. Selene accepts, and they twist the top open for her.

 

Selene eats her first piece slowly. It’s rude to eat too much in front of people that are bigger than you. Bigger people need more food, that’s what Mamae and Papae said. Besides, Nialas has a lot of questions for her, and it’s even  _more_  rude to talk with food in your mouth.

 

Most of the questions are easy. Her name, her parents names, age, address, where she goes to school. What she eats, how often she eats, and what a normal day is like.

That one trips her up.

Her days used to mean waking up and going to school, then going home to clean and do homework and practice her magic. But the last week has been her at her parents shop, instead of school. Helping with plants, and reading Papae’s books and making her notes, and then going home and practicing her magic until she falls asleep.

They both make a face at that, and Selene wonders if she did something wrong again.

 

But the earring person just offers Selene more pizza, and she takes her second piece.

They both leave after an hour or so of more questions, and a little bit of magical testing, and then Selene is alone in the room with the pizza.

It’s cold by now, but it’s probably not rude for her to eat more, since there’s no one to watch her, right?

She eagerly devours three more slices before they get back, and she watches as the earring person quirks an eyebrow, but they don’t say anything about the matter.

 

“Would you like to come home with me?” They ask Selene instead.

  
Selene blinks.

“What about my parents?”

 

Nialas kneels down slightly to get face to face with Selene and gives her a soft smile “Your parents have signed over custody. Melarue will give you a good home.”

 

“So you’re not really  _asking_ then _,”_  Selene frowns.

“If you don’t want to go with Melarue, we’ll find you another family,” Nialas assures her “But I don’t know how long that will take, and you’ll have to go into the system until another one can be found.”

 

Selene contemplates her options. She’s never had any experience herself with that sort of thing, but she’s never heard anything good about it, either. Especially for elven mages that aren’t even wanted by their  _own_  parents. If she goes with Melarue, she’ll at least have a house to live in. And they already told her she can go back to school, and maybe there’ll even be more pizza, if she behaves.

 

“Alright,” Selene agrees, turning to look up at Melarue “I’ll go home with you.”

–

The apartment is much bigger than the one she lived in with her parents. Their living room is actually big enough for a TV and a small table and a couch, and you can still see the floor, even. There’s a real dining room with a big table and chairs that don’t wobble, and a large kitchen with all of its cabinet doors still attached, and their fridge doesn’t make funny noises when she walks past it.

But the biggest surprise is Aelynthi.

 

He’s coloring at the living room table when she and Melarue (who told Selene she can call them Nanae, if she wants) walk through the door.

  
Selene swallows and debates making a run for it again. What if he’s still mad?

But Aelynthi just runs over to Melarue and gives them a large hug, welcoming them home.

 

“Aelynthi,” they say “Do you remember when I asked if you’d be alright with a sister?”

“Yeah,” he nods, then looks to Selene. “Are you my sister now?”

 

Selene shuffles awkwardly on her feet, hands twisting behind her back as her shoulders raise and her head tilts downwards “I dunno. D'you…d'you want me to be? I blew up your picture and and…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Sometimes it just happens, I get excited and the fire just happens…but I’m-I’m working on it! I’ll try not to ruin anymore of your pictures, really!”

 

“I’m not mad,” Aelynthi explains “I thought  _you_  were mad. You ran away without sayin’ sorry, and then didn’t come back to school.”

 

Selene’s shoulders raise a little higher up as she whispers out a soft “I’m sorry, Aelynthi.”

 

Aelynthi steps forward, placing his arms tightly around her. “It’s ok. I forgive you. You’re my sister now, so I’ll always forgive you,” he pulls back slightly, raising a single finger as he lectures her “but don’t run away again because it’s not safe! Ok?”

 

Selene sniffles a few times, as her shoulders begin to shake. Before long, she’s sobbing again, sniffling out apologies and promises about being a good sister between deep inhales as she tries to get herself back under control, wiping at her eyes to try to see straight. Melarue brings over a box of tissues, and Selene takes a few, blowing her nose loudly.

“Sorry,” she says again, face red and splotchy.

“It’s alright, Selene,” Melarue smiles. “Nobody here is going to judge you for being upset.”

Selene sniffs again and gives a small nod in response.

 

“Oh!” Aelynthi exclaims “Wait here!”

Selene nods again, as Aelynthi runs into one of the bedrooms, emerging quickly with a new glittery picture in his hands.

“I made this for you!” He proclaims proudly, shoving it into her hands.

 

Selene blinks and looks down at it. It’s very pretty, and colorful, and the glitter is a better quality than the stuff in class. She notices that Aelynthi even scribbled some letters down in the bottom corner like a signature, with a ‘for Selene’ next to it.

 

“Thank you,” Selene manages, holding the picture tightly between her little fingers and trying her hardest not to cry again.

 

Aelynthi decides that it’s a good idea to give Selene a tour of the house, and she follows him around, nodding attentively at all of the information he gives her while Melarue begins cooking dinner. Selene offers to help when she notices, used to having to help with dinner preparation, but Melarue assures her they have it under control.

 

Aelynthi is showing off his room when Melarue goes to retrieve them for dinner, a simple chicken Cobb salad. Nialas rings the doorbell while Aelynthi drags Selene off to watch a movie she said she hadn’t seen before, and Melarue is washing the dishes.

“These are a few of her things,” She explains, handing over a small bag and a backpack “Some clothes, pajamas, shoes, and her backpack with her school things in it.”

“Thank you,” Melarue accepts. “Would you like to come in?”

“Can’t. I still have some paperwork to finish up.”

“A shame, then. Thank you for bringing these by for us.”

Nialas waves it off, and leaves as quickly as she had come.

 

Selene is spying on the exchange from around the couch, but pretends to have been paying attention to the movie instead when Melarue catches her. They don’t pull attention to it though, instead carrying the bundles into Aelynthi’s room and inflating the air mattress. Not the best thing for her to sleep on, but it will have to do for the night. They resolve to take the both of them shopping after school tomorrow, to get the rest of the things they’ll be needing now.

 

When the movie is over, Melarue has them both wash up and take their showers before changing into their pajamas. Selene is surprised to find her sunflower pj’s in her bag, since she thought she had lost them a long time ago. The legs are a little short now, and her ankles stick out of the bottom, but they’re familiar, and she’s grateful for that.

“Nanae,” Selene ventures, as Melarue lays out a few blankets for her over top of the mattress “Am I supposed to practice my magic with Aelynthi in here?”

 

Melarue sighs and shakes their head “No, dear. I think it would be best if you took a few nights off from your practicing. You need the rest.”

 

Selenes eyebrows scrunch together, and she shuffles on her feet again “But if I don’t practice, it’ll get out of control and I might…” she pulls the picture her new brother made for her tightly to her chest “I don’t wanna mess up again. Then you won’t want me either…”

 

“Selene,” Melarue says forcefully enough that her head shoots up. She sniffs as their tone softens and they continue “You will always be welcome with us. I know you’re scared, and this is all very new for you. But Aelynthi and I care for you very much.”

 

“That’s right!” Aelynthi pipes up from his own bed on the opposite wall, causing Melarue to chuckle fondly.

 

“I hope one day, you’ll come to think of us as family, as we do you.”

 

Selene sniffs, and pulls the picture tighter to her chest, accidentally smearing glitter all over her shirt. “Thank you,” she whispers, trying not to cry again. She’s cried a lot today, and it’s not good to cry too much, she thinks.

 

“You’re very welcome,” Melarue returns with a gentle kiss on her brow. “Now, into bed. You both have school in the morning, and then we’ll go shopping for some furniture for the new house.”

 

“Yes Nanae,” They both say in sync, crawling beneath their comforters.

 

Melarue smiles and gives them both a quiet “Sweet dreams you two,” as they flip off the light switch and close the door.

–

 

When Selene wakes in the morning, she smells something warm and sweet. Carefully tucking her picture beneath her pillow, she sits up and notices that Aelynthi is already out of bed. Did she oversleep? Is she in trouble? What if she doesn’t get to go to school today after all?

What if they just forgot she was even here?

 

Panicking, Selene changes as quickly as she can into the clothes from the bag Nialas brought and runs out to the living room “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to oversleep, please-”

“Wha’?” Aelynthi asks through a mouthful of syrup soaked waffle.

 

Selene blinks, watching as Melarue scoops a small stack onto a plate and places it on the table. “Don’t talk with your mouth full Aelynthi. Selene, why don’t you come have some breakfast?”

 

Selene nods slowly, eyeing the waffles on the table as she takes her seat. She didn’t even know you  _could_  make those at home.

“Would you prefer orange juice or milk?” They ask.

 

“Orange juice, please.” Selene answers quietly, watching in awe as Aelynthi calmly cuts and eats his food. Like it’s not going to end up in the trash if he doesn’t finish it in time, or like he needs to split it into baggies as rations for the day. But as she adds a small pile of syrup next to her own food, and watches the filled all the way up glass placed gently at her spot, she feels something settle in her stomach. Maybe that’s not how it works here, then. Maybe she can just…eat.

It’s nice.

 

She manages to finish one and half waffles and all of her juice before she’s too full to eat anymore. She feels bad, but Nanae Melarue says it’s alright if she’s done.

Aelynthi leaves to get dressed, because he was still in his pajamas for breakfast, and Selene clears the table as best she can while Melarue packs two lunches. She’s stunned when they hand one to her in a small, colorful, insulated bag.

“Is this mine?” Selene asks, unzipping one corner to eye what’s inside. There’s…a lot more food than just a peanut butter sandwich. There’s crackers, and juice, a banana, a sandwich, and even a couple of cookies inside.

“Of course it is,” They assure her.

 

Selene closes it back up, and holds the bag close to her chest “Thank you.”

 

Melarue just smiles and asks her to get her shoes on.

When Aelynthi comes back out, dressed and ready for the day with both of their backpacks, the three of them make their way towards the school. Together. The whole way.

It’s nice, Selene thinks.

Melarue even walks them all the way to the classroom, and only leaves because they have to go tell the principal that Selene is Aelynthi’s sister now.

Selene thinks that’s a very polite way of saying her parents didn’t want her, but doesn’t push the point. 

For now, she’s just very grateful that somebody  _does_.


	6. Chapter 6

The mansion (And really Selene can’t think of any other way to describe it) she moves into with Aelynthi and Nanae Melarue gets its first cat when she is 6 and a half. His name is Anaris, and she learns quickly that he is  _not_  a cuddly creature. He’ll sit and keep company when someone is upset, but try to pick him up for a cuddle and he yowls and darts out of the room like he’s on fire.

Still, Selene likes having a pet in the house.

When she’s 11, their family expands. Nanae invites Kass and her daughter Ash to live with them. Selene gets her first little sister, and a fellow fire mage in the house.

(They build a fire pit in the backyard, just to be safe).

 

Ash turns out to  _love_  cats. By the time she’s settled in, the amount of strays in the neighborhood has picked up, due to the shutdown of the local animal shelter. So they end up leaving small bowls of cat food out sometimes, and plant a few stalks of catnip in the garden.

 

It doesn’t take long at all for them to have a regular rotation in the yard.

 

Melarue names the two that show up most often; Vitality, and Des. They get free reign of the grounds, and are as good as theirs, so long as they don’t offend Anaris. 

Vitality is often the hardest to track down, sticking largely to high places or wherever she can make mischief. Contrarily, Selene keeps coming home to find Des lounging in her room, and often has to drag him back out to the yard while he meows pitifully up at her. Somehow, he’s always back in her room when she gets home from school, anyways.

When she turns 14 she caves and gets him a collar and a veterinary examination with her saved up allowance, since he doesn’t seem to have any interest in leaving.

He certainly doesn’t give the air of a cat that minds being kept at all, long white fur curled up, cleaned, and trimmed, purring in satisfaction when she slips the golden chain over his head.

 

And for the most part, life is good.

Selene and Aelynthi both manage to pass the exams to get into the prestigious Arlathan Academy for their schooling. The classes are competitive, but focused. Aelynthi takes the traditional art track, while Selene opts for the STEM classes, with a heavy focus on her mathematics.

She’s 16, and working on her homework one afternoon when she hears the cat fight start in the yard. Ash is yelling at them to stop, and Selene hops quickly down the stairs and out the door to make sure everyone is alright.

Anaris seems to be attacking a new cat to the yard, ears flat against his head, fur puffed up more than usual. Selene carefully moves Ash away, turning back to the cats and letting out a loud ‘CLAP’.

Anaris pauses, head twisting to look up at her, but the other cat lets out a loud hiss and uses the distraction to swipe their claws at him. Anaris returns the hiss, and the two begin fighting again.

Selene lets out a loud puff of air, slipping off her sweater (her favorite sweater, she laments), and tossing it onto the fighting cats. Both are surprised enough by the sudden darkness that the fight comes to an abrupt end. Anaris slips out from one end while the other cat tangles itself within the threads of her knitting.

“Alright, it’s alright,” She soothes, bending down to try to help it get free. It swipes at her as she reaches for it, leaving a scratch on her hand as she jerks it back. “Calm down, I’m just trying to help you,” she reassures it. It stops twisting for a moment, and its ears perk up slightly. It lets out a low growl as she reaches for it again, carefully unwinding one of the sleeves from around its neck. She notices its collar, and carefully bundles the vibrating cat in her grey garment while she reads the address.

It’s only a few streets away.

“Ash,” Selene turns, lifting their neighbors cat (still safely ensconced in her sweater) into her arms “Go back inside, ok? Let Aelynthi know I’ll be right back, I’m just going to go return this little guy, ok?”

“Alriiiiight,” Ash responds, skipping back into the house.

 

Selene carefully walks out the garden gate, snapping off a piece of catnip to calm the wiggling creature in her arms. It works, thankfully, and she’s able to make the trip to its owners home.

Their house is  _big._

Selene knows the place she lives in is huge, too. Tall, and expansive, and more bedrooms than they have people to fill them, but this place is more like an estate really. It takes her 10 solid minutes just to walk up the driveway so she can ring the bell. Excessive, she thinks. She wouldn’t be surprised if a butler answered the door, really-

But it’s not a butler.

It’s a boy around her own age, with dark hair and pale blue eyes.

He looks…weirdly familiar.

“Hello,” he greets, snapping Selene out of her reverie.

She blinks.

Once.

Twice.

And then lifts her arms and manages to squeak out “Cat.”

His eyebrows raise, just slightly, as his gaze drifts to the grumpy feline still wrapped up in her favorite sweater.

“Oh,” he says, carefully taking the bundle from her. He slowly unwraps his pet, and it hops down from his arms as soon as it’s free enough to do so, head lifting petulantly in the air as it lands.

“He’s not the friendliest, is he?” Selene teases, waving at the cat, who puffs up slightly and rubs against the boys legs in a way she’s trying not to read as 'possessive’.

“Falon'din is an…acquired taste, I have found. I apologize for any trouble he may have caused.”

“Oh, it’s alright. Anaris is a toughie, and neither of them seem to have gotten hurt,” Selene assures the boy, pausing as her eyes lock with his.

“Would you-”

“You look-” They say simultaneously.

 

Selene chuckles awkwardly, but the blue eyed boy gestures for her to continue

.

“You look familiar,” She tries “Do you go to Arlathan Academy?”

“I do,” he nods, and it suddenly clicks in Selenes head where she has seen him before.

“Oh! You were in the ornithology club last year! With Thenvunin!”

His cheeks and the tips of his ears redden slightly as he nods “You were there for the first meeting, as I recall. With your brother.”

“Yeah,” Selene rubs the back of her head “I told Thenvunin I’d sign up so he could get the club started, but the only time he could get a room ended up conflicting with my mathlete practices, so I didn’t get to go much. Was it fun?”

“It was…informative. Thenvunin had many facts and opinions to share,” he allows.

“Stories too, I bet.”

“Yes. Many…many stories,” he says with the same far off gaze she’s seen Aelynthi get when he’s recalling Thenvunin’s molting 'horror’ stories.

 

“Do you have birds too?” Selene asks, attempting to bring him back from wherever he seems to be drifting to.

“Not officially,” he admits. “Falon'din does not get along well with other animals. There are a few ravens in the area that come by for food when he is inside, however.”

“That’s cool,” Selene smiles.

The boy nods.

 

Silence passes between them, and she shifts awkwardly on her feet.

“Your name is Selene, correct?” he asks.

“Oh, yes! And you’re…” she tilts her head down slightly in apology “I don’t think I ever heard your name, actually.”

“Dirthamen.”

“Dirthamen,” She repeats, holding her hand out for him “It’s nice to formally meet you, Dirthamen.”

“You as well, Selene,” he smiles, shaking her hand politely.

 

Falon'din starts hissing from behind Dirthamens legs.

 

“Oh, calm down Din'din, it’s just a handshake,” she laughs. “I should probably get back home, anyways. Say hi next time you see me at school, alright?”

Dirthamen blinks, but nods “I will.”

Selene smiles and waves goodbye as she bounds down his driveway and back to her own home.

 

Aelynthi is in the kitchen when she arrives, working on his latest charcoal piece on the tile while Ash eats one of her snacks at the table.

“Welcome back!” She calls, rushing out of her chair to give Selene a hug when she sees her.

“Thank you!” Selene smiles, lifting and spinning her little sister while she giggles and holds on tighter.

“Where’d you go?” Aelynthi asks without looking up.

“Oh, Dirthamen’s cat found his way into our yard, so I returned him.”

 

Melarue comes from seemingly nowhere as they refill their coffee mug and ask “Who’s Dirthamen?”

“A boy from school,” Selene evades.

Melarue gives a contemplative 'hm’ under their breath, and Selene places Ash back on the ground and quickly dismisses herself back to her room to finish her homework before any follow up questions can start.

 

Des is lounging on her bed in a block of sunlight streaming through her window. He stretches and opens one eye when she enters, before deciding it’s not worth the effort to move any more than that and going back to sleep.

Selene opens up her textbook, pulling out her graphing calculator, notebook and pencils before realizing that she left her sweater with Dirthamen.

She frowns, but shrugs. It was probably torn up by his cat anyways.

She’ll just knit a new one over the weekend.


	7. Chapter 7

Dirthamen has a crush.

Or, he  _thinks_  he has a crush, anyway. He looked up his symptoms on Web MD, and it told him he was probably having a panic attack, but he does not seem to be experiencing the usual ‘flight or fight’ reflexes associated with that condition, or many of the additional and unpleasant symptoms. When he consulted with some of the forum goers, most seemed fairly sure that his new tendency towards flushing and heart palpitations as associated with the presence of a girl at his school indicated a crush, rather than a panic attack.

It is a very interesting scenario.

Dirthamen is not certain of what to do with it, however. Advice on the matter seemed to range from inarticulate cooing to urgings that he approach Selene, but he is not gifted at socializing outside of particular circumstances.

Still, he does find the prospect of spending more time with Selene… pleasant. They do not have many classes together. Dirthamen has only seen her around school, and the one incident when his bag spilled in the hall and she helped him gather up his things. They had both been late to class, and so there had not been much time for socializing, however. Dirthamen investigates the possibilities of afterschool activities, though, and that is how he learns from one of his classmates who has Geography with Selene’s brother that Selene has signed up for Thenvunin’s ornithology club.

Thenvunin is in Dirthamen’s home economics and mathematics classes.

Dirthamen approaches him about the club, and is given a very colourful flier, and informed that the first meeting will be on Thursday, in the Drama Club’s practice room. Apparently, the Drama Club owes Thenvunin a lot of favours because his mother donated a lot of costumes to them. Dirthamen makes a mental note to see if he can get his father to make more donations to the school as well. It seems to garner a certain degree of esteem and clout.

Dirthamen tells himself he will talk to Selene during the club meeting. He knows some things about birds. He likes them, and so does Falon’Din – although in very different ways, because Falon’Din just likes to kill them, mostly.

Fortunately, Falon’Din also dislikes sharing, so Dirthamen has never woken up with a dead bird on his pillow. His father says his cat is the living incarnation of evil and that they should probably get rid of it, but Dirthamen is determined to be a good pet owner, and good pet owners do not abandon their pets simply because they are vicious and disagreeable.

He knows. He looked it up specifically.

But when he gets to the club meeting, Selene is sitting with her brother, and Thenvunin spends most of the meeting talking. And he brings along an actual bird, which seems to hate the club meeting room, and the club members, and pretty much everyone except Thenvunin, who gets upset that his bird is upset and then makes them all head outside instead, and explains ‘proper bird care’ and talks a  _lot_  about preservation societies and bird watching, but can’t even seem to manage to tell Selene what kind of bird his pet actually  _is,_  either. And Dirthamen ends up, somehow, not actually saying anything to her, and just helping Thenvunin feet his pet some cold chicken livers because Thenvunin doesn’t actually like touching them.

Dirthamen makes a mental note to never let Falon’Din anywhere  _near_  Thenvunin’s house, because Thenvunin’s ‘pet bird’ looks like it could very easily murder an unruly cat or twelve.

He holds out hope that the next meeting will go better. But then Selene does not come to that one, and instead Dirthamen spends an hour watching slides on molting and learning about burrowing owls. Which is interesting, but… also disappointing, somehow. Club attendance drops off a little bit, and Thenvunin complains that no one has enough appreciation for birds, and Dirthamen feels badly enough about it that the next week, he brings his own accumulated information and stories about the ravens near his house.

It seems to go over positively.

Selene is not there again, though.

By the fourth week, the club consists of himself, and Thenvunin, and Aelynthi, which means they are two people short of official school club status and will not be able to renew that unless they expand membership before Wintersend. Dirthamen suggests that Thenvunin should approach students who require extra credits in science and ecology, and see if the teachers would be willing to consider membership sufficient for some rewards, but Thenvunin dislikes the idea.

“There’s no point if people aren’t actually here for the birds,” he asserts.

“Oh,” Dirthamen says. “I joined the club because of a crush. I did not realize that was inappropriate.”

Thenvunin blinks at him, and then his cheeks colour.

“Well… that… you, you – just – that  _is_  inappropriate! This club is for  _bird enthusiasts,_  it’s not some erotic meet-and-greet club where you can just come and ogle me!” he huffs, fastening up some additional ties on his collar, and giving Dirthamen a long once-over before flushing even more brilliantly, and stalking away.

Dirthamen blinks.

…Odd.

He supposes it was not a very good plan anyway. He manages to hear Selene’s voice in the halls, before he heads home. She is talking about homework. He likes the sound of her voice, it has a very pleasant rhythm, and it conveys a depth of friendliness and care which makes him feel very comfortable around it. But he only overhears a little, before Selene and her brother head home, and Dirthamen must do the same.

He gets back to the house to find that Falon’Din has shredded another one of his books, thrown up in the middle of his bed, and presumably gone to hide from his crimes.

He spares a stray hope that Falon’Din does not head in the direction of Thenvunin’s house to antagonize his murderous mystery bird, and then goes to get some cleaning supplies.


	8. Chapter 8

Dirthamen does not say hi the next time he sees Selene at school.

To his credit, it is because Selene greets him first.

“Dirthamen!” She calls, waving as she jogs up the front steps in the morning. He turns, momentarily frozen at the surprise of her publicly calling his name and approaching.

“Good morning,” he returns. Her brother trails a few feet behind, sparing him only a polite nod which Dirthamen returns as he continues walking past them and into the school building.

“How are you today?” Selene asks with a smile.

He pauses, and contemplates the question. “I am adequate.”

“That’s good, I guess. How’s din-din?”

“He is his usual self,” Dirthamen evades.

She gives a soft hum in response, grip tightening just slightly as she readjusts her book bag and heads through the doors, Dirthamen following beside her “Anything interesting happening in your classes today?”

“I am unsure, as I have not yet attended them. Although my magic management instructor has a history of giving surprise examinations, so that is always a possibility.”

“Do you have Mr. Irving?”

“Indeed.”

“He only gives the exams on days that are divisible by three, so you should be safe.”

Dirthamen blinks, pausing in his step.

Selene turns to look at him, and lets out a soft laugh at the look of confusion on his face “I had him last year. He thinks he’s slick, but he’s got a pattern. Don’t tell him about it though, or he might switch it up.”

Dirthamen nods “I…will remember that. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

When they approach the end of the hall, Selene turns to the left, while Dirthamen steps to the right. With a friendly wave goodbye, Selene makes her turn and heads towards her first class, leaving behind a still slightly stunned Dirthamen.

 

She finds that they have separate lunch periods, and their paths really don’t cross much throughout the day. The knowledge makes her feel significantly less guilty for not knowing his name before, but she still keeps an eye out for Dirthamen throughout the day.

Just in case.

Because they’re friends now.

 

She doesn’t see him again until school lets out for the day, in fact. Aelynthi is staying late to work on an upcoming project, so Selene had planned on going home on her own today. She gives him another wave, and he returns it, approaching her.

“So, anything interesting happen?” She teases.

“Not in my classes,  no.”

“Oh? Something else then?”

Dirthamen doesn’t answer right away, one of his eyebrows furrowing just slightly as he looks up and away from her.

“Do you know how to knit?” he asks.

Selene nods “Yeah, why?”

“I have a project which requires it.”

Selene frowns, shoulders straightening “I’m not doing your homework for you.”

“I would not ask you to,” he assures her. “But it is not a skill I currently have, and thought perhaps you might be willing to show me. If you are busy with other things, or simply do not wish to, however, I would understand.”

“Oh,” Selenes shoulders fall slightly, as she considers the offer “I could probably spare some time for that, yeah. Do you have your materials yet?”

“I believe I have sufficiently gathered whatever tools may be necessary. They are at my house, currently. We could retrieve them, if you would like.”

“Sure let me ju-Oh,” Selene pauses, remembering what day it is “I have to get home before Ash does. Nanae and Mama are at the doctors for something, and someone needs to keep an eye on her. If you can grab your stuff quickly enough, I could show you how to knit at my house while I watch her.”

Dirthamen nods, and gestures for Selene to lead the way. She does her best to remember which streets to turn down, but Dirthamen still has to correct her a few times. But they arrive at his Estate more quickly than Selene had planned on still, so she doesn’t bother worrying about it.

 

There is a car parked in the driveway, and it gives Dirthamen pause.

 

“My apologies,” he explains “I was not expecting them back until the weekend.”

“Oh. Should I just head home then, or…?”

“No. I will simply use an alternate entrance. Please wait here, I should return in a few minutes.”

 

Selene blinks, watching as Dirthamen takes a sharp left across the lawn rather than going in through his front door.

Well. It’s  _his_  house, she supposes.

Selene waits anxiously, checking the time on her phone and mentally calculating how she can shorten her route to make sure she still gets home before Ash does.

Thankfully, Dirthamen is true to his word, and returns after only approximately 5 minutes with a large tote bag in hand, filled with at least 10 different shades of grey yarn, and three separate travel packs of knitting needles packed on top of everything else.

“Holy shit,” Selene whispers “What sort of project is this?”

Just as Dirthamen opens his mouth to answer, the door of the estate opens, and he silently shakes his head and ushers the two of them against the wall where they can’t be seen, until the mechanical whir of the front gate closing can be heard.

 

“Avoiding your parents?” Selene asks with a slow eyebrow raise as Dirthamen finally steps back onto the sidewalk.

“Yes.”

“…Oh.”

Selene awkwardly clears her throat and gestures with her head down the road “Alright, I’m going to be late if we don’t go right now, so follow me.”

 

They manage to make it back to the mansion right as Ash is being dropped off by the local carpool. Selene waves to Ash, who jogs over to meet the pair.

“You’re late,” she accuses.

“I’m sorry. I had to make a pit stop.”

Ash sniffs and points at Dirthamen without turning to face him “Who’s this guy?”

“Ash, be polite,” Selene reminds her as she digs out her house key “This is Dirthamen.”

“Ooooh,” she turns to him now “You’ve got the mean cat.”

“Ash!”

“Well he  _does!_ ”

Selene just shakes her head and holds the door open while Ash goes barreling inside “Shoes!” Selene calls after her, removing her own as she steps inside. Ash huffs and stops to take her own off before darting onto the couch and snagging the television remote “I got it first! I get to pick!”

“Alright, alright. One hour, and then homework, ok?” Selene placates.

“'Kay!”

 

“Your sister?” Dirthamen inquires, following Selene into the living room.

“Mm-hm.”

“Adopted?” he ventures.

“No, she’s Mamas. I was, though,” Selene answers as she glances around for Anaris “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not. My apologies.”

Selene hums in response, deciding that Anaris will turn up if he feels like it, and heads up the stairs to her room with Dirthamen following behind her.

 

Des is asleep on her bed, as usual. He peeks one eye open when they enter, ears perking up when he sees Selenes guest. He stands, stretching, and saunters over to rub against Dirthamen’s legs, purring loudly.

“Your cat is…very friendly,” he notes.

“He just likes attention. You can pet him if you want, just know that he’ll want to sit with you the rest of the time you’re here if you do,” Selene warns.

Dirthamen nods and kneels down, hand gently rubbing at the top of Des’s head. He stretches up, pushing his head further into Dirthamen’s touch, as his purrs steadily rise in volume.

 

Selene smiles at the sight before bending over to pull her own box of knitting supplies out from underneath her bed.

Nothing against whatever Dirthamen has, but she always prefers the feel of her own needles.

She slides the plastic box out with ease, cat toys and bottle-caps jingling as they’re pushed aside and out of its path. The noise almost manages to yank Des’s attention away from Dirthamen, but his hand turns to scratch beneath the felines chin, and Selene begins to wonder if Des is going to try to follow him home.

 

“Alright, alright. Break up the love fest you two, it’s time to go back downstairs.”

 

Dirthamen blinks, brows creasing slightly in confusion as he stands. He doesn’t say anything though, instead following Selene back down the stairs. She plops down on the carpet, leaning against a pullout chair and places her box beside her. She then gestures for Dirthamen to sit across from her and holds out one hand expectantly. He obeys, seating himself on the floor only a few feet away and handing over his tote full of supplies as Des ambles down the stairs and settles down beside him.

  
“Some of this is still in the plastic,” Selene mumbles, carefully emptying it out to see what they have to work with “You never told me what you were trying to…” she pauses, pulling out the remnants of her favorite grey sweater that had been torn apart by his cat and staring at it incredulously “…do.”

 

Dirthamen fidgets awkwardly on the ground while Selene stares him down with a slightly raised eyebrow.

 

“You said you had a school project.”

“I never said school,” he points out.

Selene lets out an undignified snort.

“Alright. I’d appreciate more straightforwardness in the future though.”

Dirthamen nods in agreement as he watches Selene pull out her own ball of yarn from her box.

 

“I still have some leftovers from when I made this one, so if it’s alright with you, we’ll just use that for the sake of continuity.”

 

Dirthamen nods again, watching as Selene carefully loops the end over one of her needles. She takes a few minutes to show him the proper way to hold the needles in his fingers, and to show him a practice row of the knit-knit-purl pattern she had used.

He nods once more when she’s finished, and she pulls out the practice row, handing her yarn and sweater back over. Dirthamen struggles slightly at copying her positioning, and Selene helps readjust his fingers a few times before he feels comfortable. The first row is uneven, as Dirthamen struggles to keep his tension even, but Selene waits until he finishes to correct him.

 

By the fifth row, Selene thinks he’s doing very well for his first time, and compliments him.

His face turns very red, and she has to stifle a laugh.

It’s…really too cute to watch his face change color beneath his curls, she thinks.

 

She hums, watching as he focuses on his movements and continues with his project.

Ash comes over to watch before long, and Selene recruits her to help roll one of her unused blue skeins into a usable ball.

By the time she’s finished and runs off to get her vocabulary homework out of her backpack, Dirthamen has filled in two of the holes.

 

Selene is actually mildly impressed.

Especially since he could have just bought her a new sweater with much less money than he clearly spent on knitting supplies and yarns that are similar-but-not-quite-right to the shade of her sweater.

The fact that he would rather repair it is…endearing. And adorable.

And the scrunch he gets on his forehead when he’s focused like this is also adorable.

She should…probably shift her own focus to something else.

 

Selene begins a project of her own with the deep blue yarn, helping Ash with her questions while she goes, absently repeating the pattern through muscle memory after several years of making these for her brother and sister already.

 

Another hour passes, and Nanae Melarue and Mama Kass walk into the door. Selene calls out her greeting from where she’s working while Ash runs off to give them both a hug, and Dirthamen’s shoulders jerk slightly as they enter.

Selene briefly wonders what his own home life must be like, but her thoughts are interrupted by Melarue stepping into the living room behind him.

 

“Selene, you didn’t mention you were bringing home a friend.”

“Sorry, Nanae. It wasn’t really planned,” She apologizes.

Melarues head tilts in that assessing way of theirs as she continues “This is Dirthamen, a friend from school. Dirthamen, this is my Nanae, Melarue.”

 

He turns and stands, awkward and nervous and almost dropping one whole side as he reaches out a hand to shake “It’s-it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Melarue puts on one of their most charming smiles, and Selene wonders what they’re planning as they grip his hand and return “And you as well, Dirthamen. Will you be joining us for dinner, then?”

 

“No, I…should return to my own home for dinner.”

 

“Pity. Perhaps another time then?”

 

Dirthamen swallows, and gives a nod as Melarue leaves to attend to Kass in the kitchen.

 

Selene stands, hoping to give him a cue to follow while he seems stuck between impulses. He follows her up the stairs, sweater and yarn awkwardly bundled in his arms as he follows her back up the stairs and into her room once more.

 

“Leave your door open!” Melarue calls from downstairs somewhere.

Selene rolls her eyes as she returns a sarcastic “Ok but try not to get distracted by all the SEX NOISES THEN!”

Dirthamen turns a very satisfying shade of red and freezes mid-step, and Des prances past him and back to his usual space on the bed while Ash from downstairs can be heard saying “Mama, I already heard, stop covering my ears.”

 

Oh, she’s going to pay for that one later, Selene thinks. But for now, she just plops onto her bed and goes back to knitting (and does indeed leave the door open). She has to pause to help Dirthamen get back into his rhythm, and she gives him a soft apology, explaining that she didn’t mean to upset him earlier.

“It’s a very blunt household. I forget sometimes, not everyone makes jokes like that.”

“I was not upset. Just…surprised,” he claims, although Selene notes that the tips of his ears are still very, very red.

 

The sun is setting by the time Dirthamen has filled in all of the holes, and Selene is satisfied with the length of the scarf. She thanks him, as he hands her back her sweater, and hands him the newly knit blue scarf in return.

He blinks, staring down at it.

“I do not understand.”

“It’s a gift.”

“I…did not get you anything.”

Selene just gives him a dismissive wave “You don’t have to. It’s a good color for you, and it’s getting colder out. If it makes you feel better, consider it a thank you for fixing my sweater.”

Dirthamen frowns as he looks at the garment in Selenes grip “You taught me how to repair it. I am not sure the thanks should rest with me.”

“Mm, but you could’ve tried to replace it, or thrown it out, and you didn’t. You fixed it, instead. I think that sort of effort is more than deserving of thanks.”

Dirthamen opens his mouth to argue, and Selene holds up a finger to stop him “It’s not up for debate. I gave you a gift and it’d be rude to return it. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t like it, but at least wait until you get home to throw it away.”

 

He looks down at the scarf, and then back up to Selene and gives a small nod and a “Thank you.”

Selene smiles and watches as he carefully wraps it around his neck.  
“It is very soft,” he comments.

“Mm-hm. It’s the same brand that made the yarn for my sweater. They do good work.”

He nods again, and follows Selene out of the room and down the stairs, awkwardly trying to avoid the stares of her parents and siblings who are not-subtly watching the two of them.

Aelynthi at least gives him a wave, that he returns without raising his hand higher than his waist as he slips his shoes back on.

“Thank you for having me over,” he swallows as he and Selene step outside, and she closes the door behind her for a modicum of privacy.

“Thank you for fixing my sweater,” she returns. “We should hang out more.”

“I would like that very much,” he smiles.

Selene leans up and gives him a hug before he leaves, watching with satisfaction as his face turns red again, and she wonders just how many friends he’s had before at the way his arms seem to struggle to remember what they’re supposed to do in return.

She heads back into the house once he’s walked away, four faces staring back at her as the door clicks shut.

She sighs.

“Alright, go ahead.”

 

Aelynthi just shrugs “He seems alright. He treated Thenvunin well, so he can’t be all bad.”

“He’s quieter than Melanadahl was,” Ash comments “I like it!”

Kass smiles and says “It’s always nice to make new friends.”

  
Selenes gaze turns to Melarue and their upturned brow.

“Well?” she pushes.

But Melarue just hums and walks into the kitchen without a word.

 

Selene will take it as a victory.


	9. Chapter 9

Falon’Din is the best cat who has ever lived, and the most important being in the universe.

One day, the world will bow to him. When his claws are sharp enough, and his teeth honed enough, and he has figured out the trick to casting spells the way that the Big Slaves do. Then he will take the world and crush it beneath his paws. All will bow before him, or else be torn to shreds for his amusement. Like the loveseat in the front foyer once was.

But for now, Falon’Din’s greatness is largely under-appreciated. He has only been able to acquire one devoted Big Slave. This one casts spells, and is sufficient to his needs. Sometimes even amusing. He provides Falon’Din with necessary food, although there are times when he makes presumptions and attempts to sleep in Falon’Din’s grand bed, or ignores his meows, or even – most damningly – locks him in the  _Crate_  and takes him to the realm of the  _veterinarian._

Falon’Din has not forgotten these indignities, and never shall.

But he has yet to find a better Big Slave replacement. Others presume upon him even more than Dirthamen does, and appreciate him less. If he is ever to achieve greatness, he will need to accumulate more, of course. But for the meanwhile, it is vital that he not  _lose_  the one decent servant he has been able to train.

Which is why it is unacceptable that his Slave has come home smelling of a  _different cat._

Not only a different cat, but one of  _those_  cats. One of the cats from the Evil House, where his new enemies live, including the Big Sweater Demon who presumed to trap him.

This, Falon’Din decides, means  _war._

He waits until after Dirthamen has gone to sleep, venturing only the cursory hisses at him and biting his feet only thrice through the bed sheets, before permitting him to remain in Falon’Din’s royal sleeping chamber. And then he heads into the bathroom, and leaves by way of the shower window. Slinking down the various exterior fixtures of the house, stealthy and graceful and powerful. Pure predation at its finest. He makes his way into the Front Jungle, and then over the Great Wall, and out into The Beyond.

Rival territories litter the landscape past Falon’Din’s fortress.

One day, they will  _all_  bow to him.

But in the meanwhile, he will start by declaring war on the Feral Cats of the Big Sweater Demon’s home. That territory is located somewhat far from his own, but it is a journey still easily made within a night. Falon’Din dashes across roads, under parked cars and hedges, and between the gaps in fences. He pauses, briefly, when he smells something interesting. But he presses on before it can distract him too greatly. There will be time to plunder bird nests and murder squirrels, pillage koi ponds and dismember butterflies later. On a more average night.

Not the eve of war.

And assassination.

And  _murder._

Falon’Din carries on until he reaches the pitiful jungles of the Feral Cats’ domain. The house looms, dull lights shining from its windows. A fortress less grand than his own – though, he will not underestimate it. The cats here have packed themselves in together, forging an unholy alliance of weaklings. Picking them off one by one would be the wisest approach; but defeating them all at once would make the more striking statement. Unfortunately, as he has yet to complete his mastery of the arcane arts, Falon’Din is not  _entirely_  confident that he could defeat every single cat on the property himself.

He keeps low, slinking through the bushes. His lip curls as he notes the scents of other cats. Marking territory. Daring to claim it, when all should belong to  _him._

Daring to scent-mark  _his_  Slave.

He surveys the area. Jumping up to higher altitudes along the fence, every now and then; and pausing to investigate certain nooks and crannies around the fortress. A back light comes on, and he retreats to the shadows. Tail swaying, expectantly, as he waits to see if one of the Big Slaves or a cat will emerge.

When nothing does, he carries on.

Eventually he finds the freshest scent trail to match the one that Dirthamen had been covered in. It leads into the fortress, however, and does not come back out again. The coward is hiding.

Falon’Din tries to find the route he must have taken to get inside. But it vanishes at one point, and he can find no entry around that area – only a jump that is far too high for him to manage, and is therefore too high for  _any_  cat to manage. He is still investigating the area when the wind shifts, and a new scent strikes him; and with it comes a warning growl, low in an enemy throat.

Falon’Din’s hair stands on end, as he looks and sees the cat he had fought with before.

The alpha of the garden; the master of the fortress.

Yellow eyes gleam back at him from the edge of a nearby fence.

It is only one cat this time, though. Falon’Din musters himself, letting out a hiss, and then lunges. Yowling his war cry, abandoning subtlety for dominance as he makes his charge. He will kill this cat, and send a message to the others! Put fear into their hearts!

His opponent yowls back, undaunted, and Falon’Din swipes at him only to find his claws meeting with open air. Then a set of sharp teeth close against his scruff – his  _scruff,_  like an errant kitten! – and toss him into the fence. The impact is hard enough to make his ears ring, for a moment, and to summon another protesting scream from him. He will not be defeated by this  _stray!_  With another hiss he swipes back into the offensive, pulling his ears flat against his skull and raking his claws over fur this time. An answering blow collides with his cheek, and he bites at the offending paw.

Another light comes on.

The unexpected glare startles Falon’Din, for a moment, and gives his opponent an opening to chase him backwards. And in all the tumult and confusion, he can only withdraw – tactically, of course. He most definitely doesn’t curl his tail between his legs and flee, yowling, into the bushes and through the backyard of the next fortress over, to lick his wounds.

But regardless, he will not let this offense stand.

One way or another, Falon’Din is going to see the end of those would-be usurpers.


	10. Chapter 10

After school hangouts turn into a regular occurrence between Selene and Dirthamen, after the sweater incident.

 

Winter settles itself into the neighborhood. The trees shed their leaves and snow leaves a thin coat on most rooftops. Dirthamen wears the scarf Selene knit him almost daily at school, and Aelynthi has no shortage of quips about the pair.

“Are you going to ask him out?” He asks at lunch one day.

“We already hang out all the time. That just seems redundant.” Selene evades.

“So you’re already dating then.” Aelynthi points out.

“We’re not  _dating_. We’re just hanging out.”

Aelynthi gives a disbelieving tilt of his head and looks to Thenvunin beside him.

“What do you think?”

 

Thenvunin sputters at being pulled back into the conversation, and gives a quick “What? Yes! Of course.”

Selene blinks, and glances over to where Thenvunins previous line of sight rested.

Ah.

Uthvir is skipping fourth period and sitting in on this lunch it seems.

 

 

Selene grins “I think Thenvunin is a bigger fan of red than blue, brother.”

“I-What? Why would you-Red is the color of-of-rogues and  _scoundrels_ and-”

“Those are usually your favorite characters,” Selene points out. “And it’s  _Uthvirs_  color too.”

Thenvunins face flames.

 

Aelynthi levels a look at his sister “Give him a break, Selene. If Dirthamen were here, you’d be staring at him just the same.”

“Ok, one; no I wouldn’t, I’m much more subtle than Thenvunin is, give me a little credit here. Two;” she continues, grinning at Thenvunin. “ _Dirthamen and I_  weren’t the ones making out behind the bleachers after school yesterday.”

 

Thenvunins mouth snaps shut at that.

Opens.

Shuts again.

“I-Of course I wasn’t-how could you even  _accuse_ -”

“If you would like to point out the  _other_ student in this school who owns a tie-dye bird sweater, I would love to meet them.” She interrupts. “Go on, I’ll wait.”

Thenvunins blush only gets brighter.

 

“And what were  _you_  doing behind the bleachers?” Aelynthi asks Selene, attempting to calm his best friend down.

Selene just shrugs “Cutting through the football field is a good shortcut to get to the park. Dirthamen and I like walking through there sometimes.”

“Like on dates.” Aelynthi says flatly.

“Like as  _friends_.”she retorts.

“Do you hold hands?”

Selene has to think about that. Usually the answer would be  _No,_  but yesterday Dirthamen had forgotten his gloves in his desk. It was cold out, and Selene runs warm anyways. His sweater didn’t have pockets, and rather than letting his fingers turn blue, she… _had_  taken his hand in hers, without thinking much of it. Just a simple warming glyph traced into his palm with her finger, and kept controlled with her hand in his.

“…Define ‘holding hands’.” She finally says.

 

Aelynthi rolls his eyes and finishes off his wrap.

 

Lunch ends soon after Thenvunin and Selene try to explain to Aelynthi that neither of them are  _dating_ , but he doesn’t seem particularly interested in either of their excuses.

 

She’s still thinking about it when the school day ends, and Dirthamen walks into her last classroom while she finishes putting away her supplies.

“How was your day?” He greets.

“Are we dating?” She blurts out in response.

Dirthamen blinks.

Raises up a single finger, and seems to be going over several things in his mind for a few moments. Selene takes advantage of his preoccupation to zip up her bag and sling it over her shoulder.

 

“I am unsure,” he finally admits. “Would you say we are?”

“Well, I told my brother we weren’t, so I guess I wouldn’t,” she shrugs. “I just wasn’t sure where you stood with the whole…”she makes a vague circular gesture with her free hand “…boyfriend girlfriend, significant other, thing.”

Dirthamen nods. “I am not against the idea. I find you very aesthetically pleasing, and I greatly enjoy our conversations and time together.”

“You’re so romantic,” Selene teases with a dreamy intonation. “I’m not against it either. But I like what we have now, too. Could we just…stay like this for a while, maybe? And we can always revisit the dating label….later. Or something.”

Dirthamen nods again. “That sounds reasonable.”

 

She releases a breath, and puts on a smile. “So. Where to today?”

“I found a shop in town with a large assortment of herbs and remedies,” he explains, as she leads him out of the room, down the hall, and out of the school. “It is not on our usual route, but I thought perhaps we could visit it still.”

“Sure,” Selene agrees. “I don’t need to be home until dinner tonight, Ash has track practice today.”

 

Dirthamen gives her a soft smile and they head out of the schools neighborhood and towards the main part of town. Selene sends a quick text to Aelynthi in case she’s late or anything happens. The sidewalk narrows as they begin to approach areas more densely filled with roads, and their shoulders brush against each other.

There is a soft clearing of his throat before Dirthamen decides to lace his fingers through her own. Both of them are wearing gloves today, but it somehow manages to feel intensely intimate even without any skin on skin contact. Selene can feel her face heating up as she glances from their joined hands up to his face. He is wearing the scarf she knit him, and she swallows through her suddenly dry throat at the way the deep saturated blue of the yarn brings out the color in his own slate blue eyes. Bright against the pale backdrop of the snow, lips and cheeks pink from the cold air.

“Is this alright?” He checks.

Selene nods, squeezing his hand with her own in what she hopes is a reassuring manner.

 

It’s like being in a pleasant haze, for the rest of their trip. Snow begins to fall from the sky, slowly enough that it doesn’t actually seem to bother anyone. Lights from the stores pass by as they engage in comfortable conversation, discussing classes and upcoming school events.

 

“Ah,” Dirthamen announces. “We have arrived.”

 

Selene looks over at the shop front; it’s old, and weathered. The front window shows a huge array of plants haphazardly growing inside the store, that seems to be growing more familiar the longer she stares at it. She’s not sure why, but she can’t help feeling like she’s been here before.

_**Efflorescent Elixirs**_ reads the window in flowing gold script.

 

Dirthamen opens the door, a soft bell tinkling overhead as they step inside, carefully wiping their boots off on the welcome mat before stepping onto the hardwood floors.

“Hello?” Dirthamen calls, stepping towards the counter. His hand slips from hers, as Selene stays stuck in the entryway, still unsure why this place seems so uncomfortably familiar.

 

“I’m coming,” calls a gruff voice from behind a curtain. As a man with graying dark hair steps out, long and braided down his back. Bright blue vallaslin thick on his face. More worn than she remembers, but unmistakable. A face that has haunted her nightmares since she was a child.

 

The elven man pauses as he spies her in the entryway, and his eyes lock with hers.

His eyes narrow, eyebrows scrunching together curiously.

“Dhaveira…?” he whispers.

He takes a step towards her.

 

“Dirthamen we need to go,” Selene breathes all in a rush. “Now.”

 

He glances briefly between her and the man that used to be her father, but makes no argument. He takes Selenes hand in his again and the two of them quickly exit the shop.

 

She can’t breathe.

She is back in the back room and she is a child again and the taste of expired peanut butter is thick in her mouth as someone drags her down the street.

Her magic knots up inside her, recalling the exhaustive amount of experimentation she used to do, of when she used to work in that shop, before macaroni pictures and Nanae and Mama and Aelynthi and Ash.

“Selene.” Whispers Dirthamen, snapping her back to the present.

 

She blinks, and shakes her head, trying to rid herself of the memories. She is sitting on a bench, somehow. Dirthamen is kneeling in front of her, brows creased in worry while his thumbs rub against the back of her hand.

 

“Sorry,” She squeaks. Clearing her throat, trying to get rid of the painful nostalgia stuck in her windpipe, she repeats herself more firmly. “I’m sorry.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

Selene hesitates for a moment. Finally, she lets out another breath and manages “He used to be my father.”

Dirthamen only looks more confused at that. “He used to be married to one of your parents…?”

“No, no. Goodness,  _ **no**_ ,” Selene chuckles, trying to bring a bit of lightness back into the conversation. “He was my birth father.”

“Oh,” Dirthamen nods slowly. “You had mentioned you were adopted, though.”

“I was,” Selene explains. “By Nanae. They found out my home life with my birth parents was…not great. They confronted my mother and father about it and…they gave me up.” Selene says with a shrug, trying to pretend it doesn’t bother her. That she isn’t upset by the memory of how easily they had let her go. How little attention they had given her growing up at all. At how much of a  _disappointment_  she must have been to them.

Dirthamen nods again, still obviously full of questions, but not sure enough of how to phrase them to ask. “I am sorry for bringing you here.”

 

Selene pulls her hand out of his and makes a dismissive gesture. “It’s fine. It’s fine! You didn’t know.”

He frowns a bit, and stands. “Would you like me to take you home?”

Selene swallows and nods, wiping away a few tears she hadn’t realized formed before standing. “Yes please.”

 

The walk back into the neighborhood is silent, broken only by Dirthamens scattered attempts to distract her with other subjects. Tired, and worn out from the surprise of seeing Elrogathe again, Selene tries to keep up the conversation, but is largely only capable of single word responses or the occasional nod.

 

Has he been there the whole time? They hadn’t even bothered moving locations. Do they still live in the same apartment? Did he recognize her?

Where was her mother?

 

Dirthamen informs her they have arrived at her home, and she nods again. He frowns in concern, his hand slipping out of hers. Her head snaps up, and she hurriedly asks him if he’d like to come in.

“Are you sure? I would not wish to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m sure,” Selene assures him. “I…could really use a friend, I think.”

Dirthamen nods, his expression easing slightly. “I could certainly manage that, I believe.”

 

Selene opens the door and leads him up the stairs to her room once their shoes are off. She drops her book bag haphazardly onto the floor, startling Des awake from his nap. She mumbles a quiet apology to him, and tells Dirthamen he can put his own bag wherever. No one else is home, still at after school activities or work, but she leaves her door open to avoid potential parental concerns later. They both shed their outer layers, scarves and sweaters forming a pile beside their bags.

 

“Would you like to knit?” Dirthamen offers.

“No,” Selene sighs. “To be honest, I think I’d like to cuddle. If that’s alright.”

He swallows, the tips of his ears turning slightly red. “That would be…fine. I do not have much experience in this area though.”

Selene gives a half-hearted smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

 

She lays down on the bed, her back to him, and asks him to lay behind her. He moves his legs awkwardly, trying to find a comfortable position before she finally just takes one of his legs securely between her own. Then he tries to figure out how to position his arms, so she lifts up one of her own to allow him to lay it over her waist, and places a pillow between her head and his other arm to try to make things more comfortable for the both of them.

By the end of it, they’re both feeling a little more relaxed and at ease, some of the tension easing out of the room from giggles and friendly teasing.

Anaris pauses as he passes the room, before continuing his usual route through the house.

Selene lets out a breath, and melts back into Dirthamens embrace with a soft 'thank you’.

He hugs her just a little more gently to him, and tells her she is very welcome.

 

They’re not sure who fell asleep first. Whether it was the soft glow of the snow outside, or the warmth of the body beside them with a purring cat at their feet that allowed them to feel so natural together.

 

But Selene definitely wakes first, when Nanae Melarue taps their nails against her door frame.

“Well,” They announce. “The roads are closed from the snow. I suppose I will prepare an extra plate for dinner tonight.”


	11. Chapter 11

Just because she’s younger than Selene and Aelynthi, doesn’t mean that Ash doesn’t see things. She knows stuff too, she reads, watches TV, and she knows what it means when a boy comes over this much. Sel’s got a  _boyfriend_  and she doesn’t even know it.

This is the seventh time Dirthamen is coming over in two weeks. He’s here so much that Mama has started to make sure to have snacks that he likes in the pantry. Sel and Dirthamen mostly stay in Sel’s room, door open because Nanae has  _rules_ , and he’s usually gone before dinner. There have been a few times when he’s stayed for dinner, though. He is a very neat eater, not like little Asaaranda who is in her ‘throwing food stage’ as Mama puts it.

Selene has a boyfriend. Ash’s sister has a boyfriend. A cute, rich boyfriend who likes soft things. Selene has soft hair, very soft hair, and she doesn’t do a good enough job of flaunting it. The women in the TV shows are always flipping their hair and it’s always so pretty and nice.

“Seleeeeeene,” Ash sings, striding into Selene’s room. Dirthamen had a thing so he’s later today than usual, but that just gives Ash the perfect time.

“Yeah?” Her sister replies, looking up from her math book. She looks back down only to look back up quickly again.

“What do you have behind your back?”

Ash can’t help but grin as she slowly pulls forward her supplies. Selene’s face falls.

“Oh come on! I’ve gotten a lot better since I was five!” Ash says. Selene swallows.

“…Fine, but no makeup!”

Ash giggles. Oh there will be makeup. She didn’t bring over her best mascara and favorite highlighter for nothing.

Thirty minutes later and Ash realizes that better than how she was five may not mean she’s great. Selene’s hair is admittedly very different from Ash’s own, which she knew, but she didn’t  _know_. But she does manage to make it nice and poufy so that it moves easier, the curls are uh… _bigger_.

The good news is that the makeup turns out to be really nice. Her lashes are long and she looks really nice with sparkly purple eye shadow and shimmery highlight. And thankfully, they have the same colored eyebrows, so Ash gets to use her own eyebrow powder to make Selene’s brows balance her cheekbones better.

“Ash, I love you, I do…but I look ridiculous.”

“Shut up, you look gorgeous. Dirthamen’s gonna lose his mind because you dizzyingly beautiful,” Ash combats. Selene sighs in defeat as Ash contemplates using the flat iron to tame some the pouf.

The doorbell rings. Selene groans. Five seconds later, Aelynthi shouts up the stairs that Dirthamen’s here and he’s sending him up. Selene moves to hide her face in her hands but Ash moves them away.

“You need setting spray or it’ll smear everywhere!” Ash grabs the spray and proceeds to spray it into Selene’s face.

“Ah!”

“Hold still!”

Selene coughs and reaches out to stop the spray when there is a polite knock on the door frame. He blinks and Selene blushes which is  _such_ a girlfriend thing to do.

“Hello, is…this a bad time?”

“NO!” Ash shouts before Selene can say anything. “I-I mean, look! She’s all pretty! Not that she isn’t normally, but now she’s even prettier, you should tell her you think she’s pretty, that’s a very boyfriend thing to do – Selene! What are you doing?!” Selene takes Ash’s arm and practically pushes her out of her room.

“Dirthamen and I have homework to do!” She says quickly before shutting the door.

“Hey! That’s against the rules!” Ash shouts through the door. She pouts at the thing, turning to leave when she hears Selene begin to speak.

“I am so sorry, she’s uh, really into makeup and stuff, and she’s my little sister and -”

“She’s right, you are very pretty.”

Ash grins as she thinks she can  _hear_ Selene’s blush. Boom, her work here is done.


	12. Chapter 12

“It isn’t  _massive_ ,” Selene grumbles while she works through her quadratic formula homework.

“Colossal, then? Immense?  _Monumental-”_

“We’re just friends, Aelynthi” Selene hisses back at her brother while he continues his painting experiment on the kitchen floor. Nanae, Kass, Ash, and the new baby Asaaranda are all in the living room together, away from the fumes.

Aelynthi tilts his canvas slightly to the left before continuing. “Why?”

“What do you mean ‘why’?”

“I mean, why are you ‘just friends’? You two obviously both like each other, your hormones are going nuts because we’re teenagers, he’s spent the night before-”

“On the couch!”

“-because Nanae  _caught_  him,” Aelynthi snickers.

“We weren’t doing anything!”

“Thank goodness for that.”

 

Selene frowns and brushes her eraser shavings off of her graphing paper. “What does  _that_  mean?”

“It means we share a wall,” Aelynthi explains bluntly “I don’t need to hear Dirthamen grunting or moaning or whatever it is he does when you’re doing… _whatever_  with him,”

“ _We weren’t doing **anything**!”_ She repeats, a bit louder than she means to because their Nanae Melarue checks in on them, pretending to get a water bottle from the fridge.

 

Selene shuffles awkwardly in her chair and pretends to focus back on her homework while their Nanae leans back on the counter.

Watching.

 

Aelynthi shakes his head.

“Nanae, tell Selene she’s being silly about Dirthamen.”

“ _Aelynthi_ ,” Selene whispers, betrayal and warning both evident in her tone.

 

One of Melarues eyebrows quirks while they take a small and purposeful sip of their water.

“Which part?”

“The part where she’s got a crush, and he’s got a crush, but neither of them is willing to  _do_  anything about it.”

 

Selene feels her face heating up as she slumps back in her chair, covering her face with her hand and wishing to be  _anywhere else in the world right now._

 

“I think they’re doing fine,” Melarue shrugs.

Selene peeks one eye out from between her fingers, while Aelynthis own narrow in suspicion.

“But they’re being idiots,” he points out.

“There’s nothing idiotic about being responsible,” Mel says, pulling one of the chairs out and taking a seat at the table. “And it seem to me, it’s about time the three of us had a serious talk.”

 

Selene can feel her stomach drop out in mortification as she and Aelynthi share a troubled look before turning back to face their Nanae.

 

“Now, it’s important to know that this is a time in your life when your body will be going through  _changes._  Some of them will be visible, and some won’t. You might find yourself with urges you didn’t use to have, and you might not, but either way you should be informed about sexual responsibility.”

“Nanae, you  _really_  don’t have to-”

“Now the most commonly known responsibility is protection. Condoms and birth control pills are the most common forms -Selene, you’ve already got your pills for your cramps, so you know what they are and how they work-”

 

“Are we really doing this?” Aelynthi asks the ceiling as Des wanders into the room, his long bushy white tail swishing in the air behind him before leaping onto the table as though in rapt attention to the topic at hand.

 

“But pills don’t protect you from STDs, so even if you do have sex with Dirthamen you’ll need to at least use a condom-”

“I’m  _begging_  you to stop,  _please._ ”

“-just in case. It’s my personal opinion you’re still too young for such things, but I understand that different people go through life at different paces, so I want you to know what you are doing. Now, even if you-and Aelynthi pay attention, you’ll need to know these things too-, even if you’re only giving a hand-job or being fingered, you will still need to use a condom. Some diseases can be spread through basic skin to skin, even without fluid exchanges, and if you touch a pair of testicles, or any exposed skin really, with one of those and then your face, or even your own genitals, well, you’ve gone and gotten an STD. The same goes for oral, although on people with vaginas you’ll want to use something called a dental dam…”

 

It’s a long conversation.

Selene wishes she could just zone out for most of it, but honestly it  _is_ an important talk.

Even if it’s a mortifying one.

 

“…And that’s how to avoid anal fissures,” Melarue finally finishes. “Any questions?”

 

Selene’s pretty sure there’s not a topic that hasn’t already been covered as she slowly shakes her head, eyes moving to Aelynthi who looks similarly shaken, the red in his face only emphasized by the stripe of yellow paint he must have accidentally smeared over his cheek at some point.

 

“Good,” Melarue decides with a nod. “Now, I do not think whether I approve or not will stop you from pursuing something you wish to do. But I would rather you be safe and informed even if I do not entirely agree. If something does happen, and you feel unsure or unsafe, know that you can always come to me for help. And if anyone tries to pressure you, it is  _always_  alright to say no. No one is entitled to your body, and if they think otherwise and try to force the matter, light them up. Corpses can’t press charges.“

 

Selene swallows and gives a slow nod in understanding. She’s fairly certain Dirthamen isn’t at risk of pressuring her into anything, given how long they’ve been not-dating and only gotten so far as spooning while fully clothed, and even  _that_  is only on occasion.

 

Her phone vibrates in her pocket, and she nearly jumps out of her skin.

A text from Dirthamen

_I have acquired a copy of the new Zelda remaster. Would you like to play it together?_

Selene swallows, shifting nervously in her chair and glancing up at her Nanae, who is peeling the last few pieces of label from their long empty water bottle.

 

“…Can I go to Dirthamens?” She tries. “He’s got a new video game I wanted to play…”

“Have him bring it here instead,” They agree. “You can play it in your room with the door open, and I’ll set an extra plate for him for dinner.”

 

Selene sends him a text back with the offer, and he informs her he will be there shortly. She thanks her Nanae and makes her way upstairs quickly to straighten her room and set up their old television.

 

By the time the doorbell rings, Melarue is back in the living room with the rest of the family,  who are all currently watching Asaaranda enjoy her tummy time. Even Aelynthi, who is theoretically waiting for his latest paint layer to dry.

 

Selene lets Dirthamen in, showing him and his backpack filled with his console and accessories up the stairs. She catches her brothers gaze as she goes. He puffs out one of his cheeks and makes a circle with one hand while extending his index finger with the other and making a lewd motion at her. When she lets out an undignified squeak, he starts laughing and drawing attention to their interaction so she hurries Dirthamen back up the stairs instead, nearly tripping over Des on her way.

 

_Honestly._

 

But as Dirthamen bends over to begin plugging the necessary cables into her television, she can maybe understand why people might want to do certain things with one another. In certain circumstances. .

… _maybe_.

But definitely not until she’s older.


End file.
